Staff

Raquel Bournhonesque, MPH, Co-Director 
Raquel received an MPH from Portland State University, where her research and academic work focused on analyzing media coverage of public health issues, and was a founding Board member of Upstream. She worked on food and land-use policy issues at the Community Food Security Coalition in California for five years then went on to work at the Health Promotion & Chronic Disease Prevention office of the Oregon Public Health Division. She is currently focused on Upstream's  tobacco initiatives, strategies to reduce soda consumption, and fluoridation.

Mel Rader, MS MS, Co-Director
Mel earned two Master's degrees: one in nutrition policy, the other in environmental engineering.  He is a former Fulbright Fellow and has several years experience in the non-profit sector working on media relations, fundraising, and grassroots advocacy.  At Upstream, Mel coordinated grassroots advocacy for the 2005 campaign to get junk food out of school and spearheaded the successful menu labeling initiative in Multnomah County. He is currently focused on farm to school and school garden policy, menu labeling , and health and climate change work.

Rachel Smith, Office Assistant
Rachel recently received her bachelor's degree from Carleton College where she majored in sociology, focusing on the dynamics of the urban environment through a social justice lens. She has had experience with non-profits working to promote community development and urban gardening and has also honed her administrative skills through her work at a college admissions office, a green building company, and a public health clinic.