TICKETS $15
Doors 6:30 p.m.; Event 7 p.m.
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THE EXPERIENCE
Tough Shit is an onstage conversation about the most challenging questions Portlanders are facing. We’ll bring together three people with very different experiences of and perspectives on the city to talk through some shit with help from the audience and a moderator. The questions will be tough, and this shit will not be resolved in one night; We expect to leave with more questions than answers, plus some renewed hope for the future. And if not, well….
This edition of Tough Shit features Lorelie Juntunen, President and CEO of the public policy research firm ECOnorthwest; Emi Day, an architect, strategist, and founder of One Day; and Alex Stone, a seasoned leader with extensive experience in security, law enforcement, business management, and education. The conversation will be moderated by Adam Davis of Oregon Humanities.
ON STAGE:
Lorelei Juntunen
Lorelie Juntunen is President and CEO of the public policy research firm ECOnorthwest. She has devoted her career to improving policy outcomes at the intersection of public investment, equitable community and economic development, and housing affordability. She led the State of Oregon’s first Statewide Housing Plan, which organized state resources to better meet the challenge of affordable housing production. In 2023, she led the team that drove the largest reform of Oregon’s land use planning system in its 50 years of existence. This reform began with the development of the Oregon Housing Needs Analysis, a new methodology for understanding housing needs in Oregon. The project team’s recommendations, including substantial changes to the land use system to align state and local actions and resources to meet quantitative targets for housing production, were adopted in the 2023 legislative session. Lorelei is proud to serve as a thought leader in this critical conversation about reforming state planning systems to more equitably address housing shortages. In communities large and small across the American West, Lorelei works with clients to develop economic revitalization strategies, affordable housing plans, and post-COVID recovery strategies.
Emi Day
Emi Day is an architect, strategist, and founder of One Day, a neighborhood placemaking studio rooted in social impact, climate action, and community resilience. Working across civic, technology, and education sectors, she brings a user-experience mindset to the built environment, leading inclusive projects that create more connected, human-centered cities. Her current work focuses on helping small creative businesses activate vacant storefronts and promoting cyclelogistics as a way to build cleaner, safer, and more livable communities. Emi has designed award-winning high schools, facilitated international workshops, and has extensive public service field experience, including frontline work with the elderly during the COVID-19 pandemic and disaster relief efforts for displaced residents following Hurricane Katrina. Emi is a licensed architect in Oregon, a member of the American Institute of Architects, and serves on the City of Portland’s Bicycle Advisory Committee. She studied Design and Environmental Analysis at Cornell University, where she received the Wood Fellowship for her honors research on eco-schools in Europe and Japan. She holds concurrent Master’s degrees in Architecture and Education from the University of Oregon, and proudly lives car-free in Northwest Portland.
Alex Stone
Alex Stone is a seasoned leader with extensive experience in security, law enforcement, business management, and education. With a diverse career spanning law enforcement, military service, and nonprofits and entrepreneurship, Alex has demonstrated expertise in crisis intervention, leadership, and organizational management. He previously worked as a police officer in Oregon, where he received a meritorious citation and played a key role in officer training and labor negotiations. His military service as a US Army officer (2011–16) included supporting soldiers facing crisis situations. Alex founded and operated many businesses, including Monkey Tree Learning Center, a multi-location daycare system; Republic Property Tax, a property tax service company in Texas; and Echelon Security, a private security firm operating in the Western US. His commitment to public service extends to his previous and currency role as a board member for several professional and community organizations, including Loving One Another, Oregon’s Department of Public Safety Standards & Training, and the Professional Security Association of Oregon.
Adam Davis, Moderator
Moderator Adam Davis has been executive director of Oregon Humanities since 2013. He has has led hundreds of community conversations and trained thousands of discussion leaders across the country in partnership with social service, educational, nonprofit, and medical organizations. Formerly of Chicago, he now lives in Southeast Portland.
HOSTED BY: Oregon Humanities
Oregon Humanities is committed to bringing people together across differences of background, experience, and belief. Each year, we offer hundreds of public conversations and programs across the state, train and support dozens of discussion facilitators, and award grants and fellowships that help people connect, reflect, and cultivate a stronger sense of agency in their communities. In our magazine and on our website, we publish stories that explore the thoughts, perspectives, and experiences of Oregonians. Our long-term hope is that the work of Oregon Humanities will make broad and significant contributions to a more cohesive, inclusive, and imaginative democratic culture.
