About Tualatin Together

Tualatin Together was originally created by a group of concerned parents in 1990. Tualatin High School had just opened and there was a notable increase in the awareness of substance abuse amongst the youth in the community. As a drug-free community coalition, Tualatin Together formed formal collaborative arrangements among groups and organizations within the community to prevent and reduce youth substance use, including prescription drug abuse and tobacco use, within the community. Tualatin Together’s core purpose is to strengthen our community by offering education, resources, support, and networking, all while actively fostering protective factors to prevent youth substance misuse.

Mission Statement

Tualatin Together works to make our community a place where we talk about mental health and substance misuse challenges. We actively promote the health of our youth and families by building resilience and providing resources to help people live their best lives.

Vision Statement

To have all residents of Tualatin actively engaged as members of a resilient community leading socially responsible lives.

Board & Staff

Partners

Coalition

Funding

Board

Patricia Parsons

Board Chair, Ibach CIO President

Sue Wise

Board Member, Past Chair

Paul Morrison

Board Treasurer, Tualatin Parent

Marshall Jordan

Board Secretary, Regional Branch Manager – Rivermark Community Credit Union

Kelley Cameron

Board Member, Hazelbrook Middle School Parent

Susan Salkield

Board Member, CASA and Grant Writer

Jane Larsen

Board Member, Owner of Jane, Ink.

We currently have Board Director Openings.

Staff

Cyndy Hillier

Executive Director

Ali Hoyle

Financial Director

Laura Freer

Community that Care Director

Partners

Our partners are #1! Prevention Science informs us that by bringing diverse stakeholders to the table to direct our work that we will not only be successful in achieving our goals of reducing youth substance misuse but also successful in increasing the many protective factors that go from individual, to peer, to family, to the environment and including policies that could help reduce the prevalence of high-risk behaviors. Daily we are thankful for these incredible community partners who show up to help us as we create meaningful change for the youth of Tualatin.

Click on the links to learn more about our partner agencies who share our desire to ensure our youth live to their full potential.

A Communities That Care Coalition

Tualatin Together is fortunate to have active coalition members in all twelve sectors as well as the Recovery sector. With the support of our community partners, Tualatin Together is able to identify community needs regarding youth substance misuse and mental health issues. Using evidence-based practices, the coalition works to develop prevention strategies that address the needs specific to the Tualatin youth community.

Using a trauma-informed lens, Tualatin Together takes data-driven prevention strategies from vision to practice. With every new strategy, results are monitored and evaluated, sustaining the programs that work best for our community’s youth. TT’s primary focus is to strengthen our community by offering education, resources, support, and networking, all while actively fostering protective factors to prevent youth substance misuse.

Tualatin Together is implementing the Communities That Care process to create sustainable structure within the coalition and to provide direction in implementing our prevention strategies.

Communities that Care (CTC) is a coalition-based community prevention program that aims to prevent youth problem behaviors including underage drinking, tobacco use, violence, delinquency, school dropout, and substance abuse. CTC works through a community coalition to assess risk and protective factors among the youth in their community using a population-based survey of young people. Once the risks have been assessed, the coalition works to implement tested and effective programs to address the issues and needs that have been identified.

A key component of the process is the Social Development Skills Strategy SDS. The SDS is a tool for enhancing five factors, which are: Opportunities, Skills, Recognition, Bonding and Healthy Behaviors. The process builds protection and organizes these protective factors into a strategy for action that anyone can use in their daily interactions with young people.
We hope that you will join us in building a shared vision of our community as a safe, nurturing environment for all children. To learn more reach out to TT’s CTC Facilitator Laura Freer at laura@tualatintogether.org.

Workgroups

Workgroup Development: One of the variables in the coalition’s success is to have an organizational structure that supports the various functions of the CTC process. Tualatin Together is in the process of forming these 5 workgroups:

Data and Resource Assessment Workgroup
Coalition Engagement Workgroup
Community Outreach and Public Relations Workgroup
The Youth Involvement Workgroup
The Funding Workgroup

Key Leader Board

Gwyn Ashcom

Prevention Manager, Washington County

Frank Bubenik

Mayor, City of Tualatin and Key Leader Board Chair

Evianne Conroy

Co-President STUDD

Tyler Eaton

Engagement Pastor, Rolling Hills Community Church

Giselle “GG” Escobar

Associate Principal, Tigard High School

Matt Kingsley

Culturally Responsive Coordinator, Tigard High School

Claudia Kis

Associate Principal, Tualatin High School

Sherilyn Lombos

City Manager, City of Tualatin

Jamey McDonald

Police Chief, Tigard Police Department

Tamiko Murman

PSO President, Deer Creek Elementary

Lyndi Petty

ADPEP Coordinator, Washington County

Greg Pickering

Chief, Tualatin Police Department

Valerie Pratt

Council President, Tualatin City Council

Susan Salkield

Board Member Tualatin Together & President of Tigard Turns The Tide

Reese Scott

Co-President, STUDD

Dustin Staten

Deputy District Attorney, Washington County

Sarah Masalmeh

President LEAP, Youth Alliance

Rick Wheelock

City Manager, City of Tigard

Sue Wise

Board Chair, Tualatin Together

Maureen Wolf

Councilmember, City of Tigard

Jill Zurschmeide

Board Member, TTSD School Board

Vacant position

Superintendent, TTSD

Vacant position

Director of Community Relations, TTSD

Learn More about our Youth Coalition and Latino Coalition on the Our Work page.

Next Coalition Meeting

Learn More

Funding Sources

Tualatin Together’s 10-year of Drug Free Communities Funding ended on September 29, 2024. During this time we accomplished a lot in the community and youth sector specific to reducing youth substance use rates for which we are very proud. We are currently funded through the following sources in order to keep doing this important work. For every dollar we invest these primary prevention efforts, saves the community up to $6 per person as well the negative impacts addiction has on families and society in general. Due to the foundational work done in the last 10 years, it has set us up to be awarded funding through the following agencies:

- Oregon Health Authority: Commercial Tobacco Grant
- Center for Disease Control & Prevention – Drug Free Communities Grant, Latino
- Community Wellness Association
- SAMHSA – Strategic Prevention Framework – Partnership for Success (Tualatin Together & Tigard Turns the Tide)
- American Rescue Plan Act
  - PumpkinPalooza
  - Safety Town
  - Borland Free Clinic Mental Health Impact