Chapter Officers
Meet the 2026 / 2027 Portland Chapter #54 Board of Directors
Aubrey Blackburn
PresidentThompson Metal Fab, Inc.
Aubrey has over ten years’ experience in the steel fabrication sector of the construction industry. A Senior Project Manager, she joined Thompson Metal Fab in 2015 as a Document Control Specialist and quickly moved into project management roles. She has been in her current role since 2025.
Having joined the NAWIC in 2023, Aubrey has continued to be actively involved in Portland Chapter 54. She served as Corresponding Secretary in 2025/2026 and is excited to continue to serve on the Board as the Portland Chapter President in 2026/2027. Aubrey is committed to building connections within and outside the chapter to help the chapter continue to grow and expand. She looks forward to engaging Portland 54 members in the coming year and continuing to strengthen the chapter.
Bergelectric
Misty Little
Vice PresidentMisty Little brings over 20 years of experience in the construction industry and has been a proud NAWIC member for more than three years. She recently relocated to Portland from San Diego, where she served on the local NAWIC Board and was actively involved in several committees.
Now working at Bergelectric, Misty is excited to continue her passion for NAWIC and is looking forward to serving on the Portland Chapter Board as Vice President. She’s eager to get involved, build connections, and be an active part of the Portland chapter community.
Karisa Caracol
TreasurerLease Crutcher Lewis
Karisa Caracol is a Project Manager at Lease Crutcher Lewis with more than 23 years of experience in the construction industry, including over 14 years with general contractors in the Oregon, Washington, and Hawaii markets. She currently serves as Treasurer and Fundraising Committee Chair and planned the past two Night with NAWIC fundraising events. Karisa is passionate about engaging more women in construction and is committed to fostering a fun and educational Portland Chapter experience. She looks forward to meeting fellow members and building new relationships.
In her free time, she loves to travel, camp in the summers, and spend time with her two Cockapoos, family, and friends.
Liz Cowen
Swinerton
Recording Secretary
Liz Cowen has been an active NAWIC member since 2013, serving in leadership roles including Director, Recording Secretary, and Chapter President (2018–2020). She is excited to serve as Recording Secretary for the 2026–2027 term and to continue supporting the organization’s mission and growth.
Outside of NAWIC, Liz is a Paralegal and Contracts Manager/Negotiator at Swinerton with nearly 20 years of experience in the construction industry, where she oversees contract strategy, negotiation, and compliance, leveraging both project and legal expertise to support business operations.
Erin Holmes
Corresponding SecretaryCochran
I have worked at Cochran for 20 years. My current role is Senior Project Manager. I have been in NAWIC since 2005, and have held several positions on our board, including President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Director. I love helping guide our chapter and newer members to all that NAWIC has to offer. I look forward to serving on the board again this upcoming year.
megan martin
USI Insurance Services
Megan is a Vice President and Property Casualty consultant with USI’s Portland office. She joined USI in 2017 and quickly moved up from account management to a production role where she focuses on clients in the Real Estate, development and construction space. She joined NAWIC in 2024 and is excited about the opportunities for growth as well as networking with her peers in the industry.
Megan is a born and raised Oregonian from Oregon City where she grew up with her identical twin sister Carlie. We played a lot of soccer and eventually made it to play D1 at Portland State. She loves hanging out with her pets, going camping and occasionally, still running around on the pitch.
Director
Jude Collins
Whitaker Ellis
DirectorSince joining NAWIC in 2024, Jude has served on the Marketing and Industry Outreach Committee, where she has helped build vital partnerships that elevate our industry. She is eager to take on the Director role for the 2026-2027 term. Outside of her work with NAWIC, Jude is a People and Culture Manager at Whitaker/Ellis, where her dedication to fostering a vibrant workplace culture and her passion for people truly shine. Her creativity and commitment enrich both organizations!
Staci Pfau
Oregon Zoo
Staci works as an Owner’s representative for public works construction projects. She has over 20 years’ experience managing projects in the Pacific Northwest for both federal and regional government agencies. Most recently implementing capital improvement for Oregon Zoo. Her portfolio of work includes leadership in programming, campus planning, and design all the way through construction and occupancy. Project requirements have led to creative problem solving. This includes build-out of temporary structures for phased construction and moves, working in occupied space, access control for both high security and remote environments, post occupancy system optimization and commissioning, and achievement in multiple green building certifications.
Director
Lauren Holmes
Immediate Past President /PNW Regional DirectorLauren graduated from OSU with a CEM degree and has been working for general contractors in Portland for 20 years. She has been in NAWIC since 2005 and has served on the Board in various positions and lead various committees, most notably the fundraising committee coordinating our Brewfest event for 10 years and Night with NAWIC for 2 years and NFSF, coordinating scholarships for students seeking degrees in construction related fields.
Lauren is excited to continue to support our chapter and the PNW Region as we continue to grow our membership and increase our impact on the Portland construction community.