Not-for-Profit Conference - Portland

Jeff Mechanick is Senior Project Advisor for Not-for-Profit Organizations at the U.S. Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB).  In that role, he provides organization-wide technical and strategic advice on standard-setting activities affecting the not-for-profit (NFP) sector, guides and facilitates stakeholder outreach with the sector, chairs the FASB's NFP Advisory Committee, and participates in some of the FASB's broader educational activities.  Prior to joining the FASB staff in 2006, Jeff spent 20 years working in and with the not-for-profit sector, as the Chief Financial Officer of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc., and before that, as a Senior Manager with KPMG, LLP, in the firm's New York City office and its national Higher Education, Research, and Other Not-for-Profits practice. He is also a past member of the AICPA's NFP Entities Expert Panel.  Jeff received his MBA from Rutgers University and his AB from the University of Chicago, and he is a member of the AICPA and the New York State Society of CPAs.  He is also an adjunct instructor in Columbia University's MS degree program in Nonprofit Management.

(1/8/26)

Meet John Higgins, CPA.CITP, the visionary founder of Higgins Advisory, LLC, specializing in guiding accounting, finance and tax professionals through digital transformation. By blending strategic advice, education, and coaching, John empowers these professionals to master today's rapidly evolving digital landscape. He began his career with a local CPA firm, then founded and sold two successful technology advisory startups, and served as a national technology practice partner at a top ten firm. Today, John is dedicated to helping professional firms navigate the disruptive application of artificial intelligence technologies.  He has been recognized as a Top 25 Thought Leader by the CPA Practice Advisor magazine for the past 15 years.

(3/4/2026)

Martin Medeiros

Martin Medeiros is a Shareholder at Buckley Law. His practice area encompasses a range of services to clients including business formations and transactions, intellectual property, technology applications and IT, business succession management, privacy and security, and copyright and trademark law.

With more than 20 years of experience, Martin helps organizations build value by treating intellectual property as a strategic asset. He is a resource for clients who need to manage internal legal issues such as transactions and disputes, and provides leadership to internal resources and management of external professional services. Martin also works with clients to look at what strategic, tactical, operational, and contingent priorities require resources and which do not.

He works with clients globally by creating legal systems that limit risk and preserve value and has authored and edited various parts of the five-volume set "Advising Oregon Business." Martin also served as a Special Assistant Attorney General for the State of Oregon and as Chairman of the Small Business Advisory Counsel for the City of Portland. He has negotiated thousands of transactions, teaches on and authored six books on negotiation, and hosts an award-winning podcast, The Persuasion Lab.

Prior to joining Buckley Law, Martin founded Medeiros Law Group in 2015. The firm joined with Buckley in 2023. Martin received his J.D. from The University of Tulsa College of Law, and a B.S. in Finance from the American University Kogod School of Business. He is member of the Oregon State and Washington State bar associations.

(2/9/26)

Jordan Fladell is Partner, Technology Advisory with Aprio Advisory Group LLC. He has more than 30 years of experience in the technology sector. Jordan specializes in helping CEOs, CFOs, and IT professionals maximize the return on their tech investments and learn how to merge their digital worlds with their legacy brick-and-mortar environments.

As a former CEO and entrepreneur, Jordan understands the challenges executive leaders and owners face in implementing new technology. He enjoys helping his clients scale, grow, and use tech advancements to gain a competitive edge in the marketplace. During his own tenure as a CEO, he inherited a company with a broken balance sheet and software platform; he was able to rebuild their platforms under cash restraints, balance their books, and modernize their software — from a cloud application to a true SaaS platform — within 18 months of taking on the challenge. Jordan has proven success helping companies of all sizes navigate SaaS, digital, and data-related implementations, leveraging his previous experience to drive new learnings and future insights.

Jordan earned a Bachelor of Science from the University of Maryland. He currently serves as a board member of the Technology Association of Georgia.

(2/17/26)

Justin Hobson

Justin Hobson has experience helping clients on corporate and tax matters. He assists businesses, from startups to large international corporations, on tax issues and business transactions, possessing particular experience with and insight into clients within the cannabis industry. Justin also has experience with corporate matters, including mergers and acquisitions, financing transactions, securities offerings, and corporate governance.

Justin previously served as co-chair of the cannabis team at a large Pacific Northwest law firm, where he supported clients inside and outside of the cannabis industry on a wide range of tax and corporate needs, including all areas of income taxation, international tax matters, and matters related to corporate governance.

Justin began his career at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP where his practice primarily focused on international tax matters. His experience includes tax return compliance, tax controversy matters, tax advice, and auditing income tax provisions in accordance with ASC 740.

Edited 7/23/2024

Heather Van Meter

Heather Van Meter represents and advises private, public, and not-for-profit entities throughout the Pacific Northwest. She counsels employers on a full range of employment- and workplace-related issues, including employment handbook and policy development, compliance with complex state and federal leave laws, wage and hour issues, disability and religious accommodations, employment discrimination, harassment and retaliation claims, and employee discipline and termination. Heather also helps employers draft, negotiate, and enforce employment-related contracts, such as noncompete, nonsolicitation, and nondisclosure agreements, as well as employment and executive employee contracts. She regularly prepares employment-related and contractor agreements and advises on employee situations for regional, national, and international companies. As a former professor and teacher, Heather enjoys providing workplace trainings on a variety of topics to ensure legal compliance while fostering a culture of inclusion. Heather is a trusted advisor to both small and large employers, offering forward-looking guidance to help clients maintain healthy, efficient workplaces.
Heather is recognized by her peers as a leading trial attorney. Her litigation practice specifically includes employment-related litigation, while she also has extensive experience in general civil litigation, including mass torts, drug and medical device and products liability, construction defects, negligence, condemnation, insurance coverage, and multi-district litigation in state and federal courts in Oregon and Washington. Heather's background includes over eight years in the Oregon Department of Justice's Civil Litigation Section as a senior assistant attorney general and trial attorney. She has completed over 30 trials to verdict in state and federal courts.

edited 2/3/25

Andrea Moore

(03/11/2026)