Meet the new Trustees JOHN HELMER III
David Brezinski
D’Anne O’Neill D’Anne O’Neill’s path to becoming a trustee had a unique starting point – holiday decorating. About eight years ago, O’Neill’s daughter, Brenna, started high school. The future trustee had a little extra time to volunteer, and decided to help decorate the club over the long Thanksgiving weekend. “It was the best thing I ever did. I met wonderful hard-working people on the Holiday Decorating Committee, who have become some of my best friends,” she says. “It changed my whole perspective about what the club is and what it can be. My husband used to call this his second home, and I couldn’t understand that at the time, but now I know what he means.” O’Neill joined the Holiday Decorating Committee, which led to service on two major committees, Membership and Member Events. She chaired the latter. “Each time I went to a new committee, I learned so much. I used different parts of my brain than I use in my job, and I loved that part of it,” she says. “By the time my three years would end, I learned so much about finances, strategic planning and looking at the bigger picture of where the club needs to be.” Over the next three years, O’Neill is hoping to “help” improve
the club’s onboarding process for new members, helping them to better understand the abundant activities and opportunities available at MAC. “This place can be big and confusing, and sometimes it’s hard for new members to know who to ask for help,” she says. “And it’s more than just how physically large the club is; it’s showing people all of the things that are available. It’s connecting the dots for people.” O’Neill grew up in Eugene and earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Oregon. She moved to Portland to attend graduate school, earning a master’s degree in social work from Portland State. O’Neill currently works for Providence ElderPlace, which includes all-inclusive care – from housing to social services – for medically fragile seniors. Over the years, she has worked in a variety of different social work positions, including an eating disorder program, group and individual therapy, private practice and a six-year stint at Swedish Medical Center in Englewood, Colorado. In her spare time, O’Neill loves to explore new corners of the world, with recent trips to South Africa, Dubai, Southeast Asia and Eastern Europe. She lives in Portland with her husband of 27 years, Skip. Her daughter, Brenna, graduates from Southern Methodist University in May. Continued on page 52
March 2016
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