Jill Fuglister

Educated in government at the University of Notre Dame and environmental studies at the University of Oregon, Jill moved to the Pacific Northwest and entered the nonprofit world right after college because of her desire to do mission-driven work.

“As a kid, I felt a deep sense of empathy for other people and animals. When I grew up and learned about things like community organizing, social movements and environmentalism, this translated into a systems view of the world and a commitment to positive social and environmental change. After decades of organizing and advocacy work with nonprofit organizations, I had the opportunity to join Meyer, where I bring these same values and perspective to my work in philanthropy.”

Jill’s career as a nonprofit professional started as a Jesuit Volunteer Corps member at an agency serving at-risk youths. From there, she did a stint as an environmental educator in Vermont, then oversaw café operations at Sisters of the Road and worked part time for the Oregon Chapter of the Sierra Club while finishing her master’s thesis on Portland’s food system. She led Coalition for a Livable Future, where she worked to connect the dots between a broad array of organizations’ efforts aimed at creating sustainable communities in greater Portland. Although she can’t make it every year, one of Jill’s favorite volunteer events is the Down the River Cleanup, which gives her a chance to float the Clackamas River while also helping clean it up.

Jill joined the Meyer team in 2011.