Ellen McKean - Board Member

Board Seat 3

Ellen is a law student at the University of Oregon School of Law and is interested in landlord/tenant law. She became involved with SETA to promote tenant access to community resources. Ellen grew up in Portland but has called Eugene home since 2011 when she began her undergraduate studies at the University of Oregon. Ellen and her husband rent an apartment in West Eugene, and in their free time enjoy camping, card games, and disc golf.

Kevin Cronin - Board Vice President

Board Seat 4

Kevin Cronin is an activist and community organizer that has rented in Eugene since 2010. His lived experience includes being no-cause evicted and having to face many challenges in our housing crisis. He works for a nonprofit that provides industry support for affordable housing developers and homeless service providers. Named one of Eugene Weekly’s best local Hellraisers (2014), Kevin is a founding board member of SETA and is passionate about creating change in our community. He likes gardening, camping and history podcasts.

Elise Josephson - Board Treasurer

Board Seat 5

Elise (She/Her) was appointed to the Board in December 2020 and re-elected in March 2021. She previously served as Board Vice President. She graduated from the University of Oregon with a B.S. in Planning, Public Policy, and Management with a concentration in urban planning and development. Elise currently attends the University of Oregon School of Law. She previously served on the Board of Directors of Oregon DECA, a nonprofit focused on enhancing business and marketing education for high school and college students. She also currently serves as a Planning Specialist Commissioner and Vice Chair of the City of Springfield's Historic Commission and as a member of the School of Law's Curriculum Committee. Elise lives in Eugene with her wife, Brayley, and their dog, Forrest.

Tara Garkow - Board Member

Board Seat 6

Tara (She/Her) has been a board member of SETA since August 2019. She was born in Eugene, currently works at the local housing authority, and has many years of volunteer and professional experience providing support to people in need of housing. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, crafting, and going on outdoor adventures. Tara is a renter in the Whiteaker neighborhood and is always looking for ways to give back to her community.

Nicole Leseney - Board Secretary

Board Seat 7

Nicole Leseney (they/them) has been renting in Eugene since they moved to go to the University of Oregon. Later, they went back to school and earned a Masters's in Political Science to gain more insight into politics and advocacy from an academic level. They also have spent time learning both subjects on a practical level through working with various non-profits to try to better the lives of their fellow Oregonians. That assistance is everything from lobbying to get better training and laws for private agency caregivers to helping Planned Parenthood create a festival to help teach kids civics. They are looking forward to working with SETA to help their fellow renters.

Stacey Yates - Board Member

Board Seat 8

Stacey Yates (she/hers) was elected to the SETA Board of Directors in March 2022. Stacey’s career includes working as a case manager for families and individuals experiencing homelessness, as well as providing resident services for affordable housing developers. Most recently, she worked with DevNW and St Vincent de Paul to develop financial education and housing programs for youth aging out of the foster care system or utilizing local shelter options. Stacey lives with her family in Springfield and is grateful for this opportunity to serve her community. 

Ryan Moore- Board Member

Board Seat 9

Ryan Moore (He/Him) has been a renter for his entire adult life and is passionate about housing issues. He believes that housing is possibly the most important social determinant of health and wealth and he co-founded SETA in an effort to better our community and keep people in their homes. He has been deeply involved in advocacy efforts and is fired up about building political power for tenants. Ryan, his partner, and their two adorable cats live in an apartment in West Eugene.

Elliott Farren - Board Member

Board Seat 10

Elliott Farren (he/him) joined the SETA board in 2021. Elliott is a Supervising Attorney at the Eviction Defense Project of the Oregon Law Center, where he works with attorneys statewide to defend tenants in eviction cases. Elliott is a native of Eugene, where he enjoys cooking, hiking, and riding his bike. He is active in his synagogue and the proud parent of two young children.