Joey Pope
Guided by her belief that parks and the outdoors are for everyone and an essential part of Oregon life, Josephine “Joey” Pope has devoted over four decades of her life to activism, philanthropy, and leadership in making Portland’s parks system more accessible to all.
In the spirit of Joey’s legacy, The Portland Parks Foundation, in partnership with the Pope family, has established an endowment fund to support emerging leaders advancing accessibility and innovation in Portland’s parks system.
This award includes a $10,000 grant plus wrap-around support from PPF to advance the goals of the recipient and their organization.
Nominations were made through an online form open to everyone and promoted through the Foundation’s email newsletter and social media accounts and direct outreach. They were accepted between March 1, 2022 through March 31, 2022.
The 2022 nominees are:
Chad Brown, Love is King
Gabe Sheoships, Friends of Tryon Creek
JoAnn Vrilakas and Dr. Derron Coles, Leach Botanical Gardens and The Blueprint Foundation
Pamela Slaughter, People of Color Outdoors
Pacific North West Council of Water Protectors
Prashant Kadad, Dance United
Rob Whitson, Troll City Boathouse
Urban Nature Partners PDX
Vanport Placemarking Project
Congratulations to Pamela Slaughter of People of Color Outdoors on receiving the 2022 Joey Pope Award for Parks Leadership!
Read about each of the nominees and the incredible work they are doing in our city!
Meet the 2022 Joey Pope Award for Parks Leadership Awardee
Pamela Slaughter, People of Color Outdoors
Pamela Slaughter founded People of Color Outdoors (POCO) where black, indigenous and all people of color can enjoy and learn about nature in a safe, welcoming, caring community. POCO blends networking, outdoors career options, environmental education, history, and outdoor skills—and, “of course, fun”—while bird watching, fishing, canoeing, bike riding, and overnight camping. Still working as a realtor and using little more than email and a Facebook page, she has rallied 3,000 constituents and partnerships with, among many others, Metro, Columbia Slough Watershed Council, Audubon Society, and the Nature Conservancy.
Over the years, Pamela has evolved POCO from simple meet-ups for people of color to a growing program of environmental and cultural education. Since inception, POCO has hosted over 200 outings ranging from hiking, birding, canoeing, snowshoeing, biking and camping. As POCO continues to grow, Pamela has added youth summer camps and training opportunities for POCO members to take specific skill training coursework in order to lead future POCO outings.
Support this work and learn more: www.pdxpocoutdoors.com