Jason Aulicino, Chair
Bill Aspegren, Treasurer
Kari Parsons, Secretary
Erica Parsons
Tracy Phelan
Marsha Shankman
Carolyn Jacobs
Sharon Schuman
Martin Tusler
Lauren Willis
University of Oregon neighborhood liaison: Cami Thompson
Board Profiles:
Jason Aulicino, Chair
I have been a SUN resident for 18 years and currently reside on 23rd near Agate. My daughter attended Edison/RMS/SEHS. As the long-time owner/founder/director of Treetop Academics, the on-site childcare and academic after-school program at Edison, I have extensive long-term volunteer and advocacy experience within the Edison community. My hope is not only to strengthen the relationship between parents, students, the school, and our SUN neighbors, but work with the UO, Eugene, and others to address ongoing changes facing SUN in the future.
I retired in 1999 and moved to Eugene from Chicago where I had worked 34 years for CNA Insurance. My time at CNA was spent managing systems development projects. Since coming to Eugene, I have been active in the Eugene Opera, Oregon Bach Festival, middle school bicycle education program and have helped with Campbell Center outdoor activities. I have worked with the city on minor code amendments, infill compatibility standards and various other land use issues. I participated in Envision Eugene as a member of the Community Resource Group and the Economic Development sub-group. I served as an at large neighborhood representative on the Multi-Unit Property Tax Exemption (MUPTE) Review Panel. I plan to continue to work with the SUNA board and City on land use and neighborhood livability issues. I enjoy bicycle riding, hiking, birding, and woodworking.
I first joined the SUNA board in 2013. My husband and I moved to Eugene with our family in 2004 and we have since lived in two different parts of South University Neighborhood, giving me perspective on the distinctive and varying characteristics of our neighborhood. I am a long-time advocate for Edison Elementary. Professionally, I am a public policy consultant conducting applied research in a range of domains, including poverty, health, housing and homelessness, sustainability, and more. In my spare time, I enjoy hiking, gardening, and spending time with my family. Currently, my main role on the board is to help produce the monthly SUN eNews and to take the minutes for our board meetings. I plan to continue my current roles and keep our neighborhood thriving by supporting community-building activities and advocating for policies that enhance neighborhood livability and equity.
Tracy Phelan
I have lived in SUN for over 25 years, during which time I volunteered at the schools of my three children and worked for the UO on Legislative and Community Relations. I am interested in continuing my service on the SUNA Board to maintain and enhance our neighborhood. I currently maintain the University Park Little Free Library for the neighborhood.
Marsha Wells Shankman
I am a longtime SUN resident. My husband and I have lived in the same 1920s-era house in the neighborhood since 1985. Our two daughters attended Edison Elementary School. I have worked as the Publicity Coordinator for the Maude Kerns Art Center for over 25 years. I have served on the SUNA Board since 2008, during which time I have seen the many positive effects of Board-initiated projects. This is what keeps me involved in board service. I enjoy working with a dedicated group of Board members and neighbors to preserve the livability of our wonderful neighborhood. I look forward to continuing to engage in neighborhood planning and am committed to the active support of Edison School, pursuing improvements to University Park, and working with the University to assure that our neighborhood best serves the needs of our diverse residents, including students, seniors, and families.
I have lived in the South University Neighborhood for 35 years and have served on the SUNA board on and off during most of those years! For many years I have been the SUNA representative to the Neighborhood Leadership Council which has provided me an opportunity to meet and work with neighborhood advocates from many of the other 23 neighborhood associations. That perspective and the relationships that have grown from my involvement have proven rewarding both personally and to the board as we deal with a wide range of challenges. Over the years I have also been involved with other city projects such as Envision Eugene, Infill Compatibility Task Team, and Housing Tools and Strategies with a long-term interest in land use. I am also an avid hiker and gardener!
We moved to SUNA in 1981 when my husband started law school. I wound up teaching English at the UO Honors College and playing violin in a number of musical groups in Eugene. Our daughter went to Edison briefly but enrolling in Eastside when it was in the Edison building and followed it when it moved to Willard. In 1981 SUNA was dormant, and a group of us resurrected it to get the broken glass out of the wading pool and to staff it and fill it with water. I served as Chair of SUNA and also served on the Neighborhood Leaders Council. I would like to serve again now that I am in semi-retirement and have a little more time.
Martin Tusler
My wife and I originally moved to Eugene in the early nineties. We both received graduate degrees here. In 2010 we moved to Columbus, Ohio and were quite happy to return in 2019. I am a retired instructor, researcher, and maître d’. She is a professor in the School of Journalism and Communication and in Psychology. While in Columbus, I was treasurer of the Schumacher Place Civic Association where we dealt with similar issues to ours here in SUN. I am concerned about equity in general, specifically housing equity in our neighborhood. I hate to see the diversity of SUN decrease as houses become unaffordable for most Eugeneans.
Lauren Willis
I joined the SUNA board in 2019. I moved to Eugene in 2009 and have lived in SUN since 2017. My husband and I both work for the University of Oregon and love the neighborhood for its walkability and proximity to the university. As a SUNA board member, I have worked to highlight issues relevant to the neighborhood through general meetings and SUNA’s monthly e-news.
Erica Parsons
I moved to 21st Avenue in September 2021 with my husband and two kids from Truckee, CA after my husband retired from the U.S. Coast Guard. I spend almost 100 percent of the work week inside SUN: I work from home (I’m an editor at Wirecutter, the New York Times’ product recommendation site) and when I’m done working we’re either riding bikes or playing at University Park, Agate Playground, or Washburne Park. My son attends Edison and my daughter attends Congregational Preschool. We absolutely adore this beautiful, walkable neighborhood and have loved meeting our kind, welcoming neighbors. I’m eager to contribute to the neighborhood any way I can, especially as a voice for families with young kids.