Oregon Community Foundation is one of the nation's largest with a priority lens on Oregonians

The Jefferson Exchange

Lisa Mensah, President and CEO of the Oregon Community Foundation( OCF)

Lisa Mensah joins the Exchange. She is President and CEO of Oregon Community Foundation. Also joining is Kurt Hildebrand. He's the Philanthropic Advisor & Regional Director of Southern Oregon Philanthropic Services at OCF.

Lisa Mensah, President and CEO of Oregon Community Foundation and Kurt Hildebrand, Regional Director of Southern Oregon Philanthropic Services at OCF, join Mike Green, host of the Jefferson Exchange, in the JPR studio on Oct. 1, 2025.(JPR Senior Producer, Natalie Golay)

ABOUT LISA MENSAH

Lisa Mensah is President of CEO of the Oregon Community Foundation, overseeing one of the largest community foundations in the United States and one of only a few with a statewide focus. A native of Beaverton, Oregon, she earned a Master of Arts from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies and a Bachelor of Arts from Harvard University.

Prior to her leadership role at Oregon Community Foundation, Mensah served as CEO of the Opportunity Finance Network, where she applied her extensive expertise in both public and private sector financial strategies to enhance economic security. She served as the USDA Undersecretary for Rural Development during the Obama Administration, founded the Initiative on Financial Security at The Aspen Institute, and held key leadership positions at the Ford Foundation. She began her professional career in commercial banking.

Mensah is actively engaged in various philanthropic and financial initiatives. She serves on the boards of Ecotrust, Feeding America, Fidelity Bank of Ghana, and the Heritage and Cultural Society of Africa (USA). Additionally, she is a member of the Advisory Committees for Goldman Sachs’ One Million Black Women initiative and the Gaia Impact Fund.

ABOUT KURT HILDEBRAND

Kurt Hildebrand is the Philanthropic Advisor & Regional Director of Southern Oregon Philanthropic Services at the Oregon Community Foundation. He is a Medford native who values the natural beauty and community spirit that make Southern Oregon a great place to live. He joined the OCF team after several years of leading a Grants Pass-based organization providing college and career preparation to underserved youth. Prior to that he spent a decade working and living in Haiti, including human rights advocacy, agroforestry and humanitarian relief following the 2010 earthquake. Kurt works with donors in Josephine, Jackson, Klamath and Lake counties to find the best ways to support the work that is important to them.