Meet the people behind OASIS.
Jordan Schott
Director of Legislative Strategy
Jordan (she/her) is a co-founder and the Director of Legislative Strategy for OASIS. She is primarily responsible for communications with Legislators and conducting Legislative research.
Jordan first got involved in Constitutional change when she interned at the Oregon State Capitol and stumbled upon the slavery exception clause in the Oregon State Constitution. Over the next year, Jordan advocated for a proposed amendment which would remove the language of slavery from the Constitution. Despite the uncooperative Legislative process, Jordan’s pursuit for Constitutional change was reinvigorated after taking a class which brought students into Oregon State Penitentiary to learn about Restorative Justice alongside incarcerated men.
Jordan is a graduate of Willamette University. She holds a dual BA in English and Politics, Policy, Law, and Ethics.
Niki Kates
Director of Communications
Niki (she/her) is a co-founder and the Director of Communications for OASIS. She is responsible for relationship building, managing external communications and coalition building, and facilitating internal communications.
Prior to her involvement with OASIS, Niki was involved in a series of research and advocacy projects surrounding reentry. From these experiences, Niki brings an understanding of the financial predicaments faced by incarcerated persons and their loved ones during and after incarceration.
Niki, like many other staff members of OASIS, is a graduate of Willamette University. She has a dual BA in Psychology and Refugee and Migration Studies.
Anna McPherson
Volunteer Outreach Coordinator
Anna (she/her) is the volunteer outreach coordinator for OASIS. She is responsible for promoting volunteer opportunities, recruiting and training new volunteers, maintaining a database of volunteer information, matching volunteers with appropriate tasks to suit their skills, and conveying OASIS’s message to the public.
In addition to her involvement with OASIS, Anna is the vice president of Willamette University’s Restorative Justice Coalition. From these experiences, Anna brings an understanding of the criminal justice system and its faults.
Anna is a current student at Willamette University, pursuing a major in Civic Communication and Media with Public Health and Sociology minors.
John Hochstetler
Director of Technical Operations
John (he/him) is a co-founder and the Director of Technical Operations for OASIS. He manages OASIS’s website and online presence, including mailing lists and various outreach tools. He also assists in a general capacity as a technical consultant for OASIS and partner organizations.
John graduated from Willamette University with a BA in Computer Science.
Riley Burton
Director of Financial Operations
Riley (he/him) is a co-founder and the Director of Financial Operations for OASIS. He is responsible for financial frameworks, regulation compliance and assisting with general strategy.
Prior to his involvement with OASIS, Riley was a leader in Sexual Assault Response Advocates (SARA), on his college campus. He regards his time as a SARA and time in Reforming Criminal Justice (PPLE 399W), a class of incarcerated and not incarcerated students, as the most formative experiences of his current worldview. Riley went on to write his economics thesis on prison wage exploitation at the federal level, and in collaboration with incarcerated men has done extensive research into the Oregon model of incarcerated labor. Riley is keenly focused on the financial implications of mass incarceration.
Riley graduated from Willamette University with a BA in Economics with honors.