OPAL

RAHNA EPTING
OPAL Board Member

Rahna Epting is an attorney with a degree from Lewis and Clark Law School, where she was the Co-Chair of the Environmental Justice Advocates and was instrumental in bringing two distinguished EJ scholars, Robin Morris and Bob Collin, to the school. Rahna is also the former director of Politicorps, a 10-week political boot camp around organizing and electoral politics for youth and emerging leaders. Rahna has also worked at CRAG to implement their Environmental Justice Program. She was heavily involved in organizing an environmental justice training in the Portland community for citizens and government employees.  She is dedicated to the environmental justice cause and continues to contribute to community empowerment.

Odell brings close to 13 years of political advocacy, grant writing, policy development and grassroots organizing experience to OPAL and the Portland progressive community. While with the National Toxics Campaign (NTC) in 1991, Odell helped organize a low-income housing community in Raleigh, NC against the siting of a hazardous waste incinerator and later worked with an immigrant community in Eastern NC on groundwater contamination issues. He later organized a direct action protest at the Savannah River Project in Georgia, around ‘toxic sludge" and proximity to communities on the river basin. Odell moved to politics and lobbying in 1992 and was on the campaign staff for 2 state representatives in the North Carolina General Assembly and 1 US Senate-elect race. Odell later co-founded a non-profit organization in Chapel Hill, NC focused on local microbreweries concerned with market access and state regulations. His organizing work in Oregon has included; Community Connector for the PACE-EH Community Coalition--2002-2005; Community Organizer for the Environmental Justice Action Group--2001-2002; Tri-County Coordinator during the 2001 Oregon Legislative session for the Oregon Community Protection Coalition (OCPC), a broad-based coalition of 30 environmental groups concerned about the damaging effects of regulatory takings and the passage of Measure 7 in the 2000 General Election; and field organizer in 2000 with the Oregon League of Conservation Voters (OLCV) where he successfully implemented a Youth Voter Program for the 18-35 year-old voter demographic in the Tri-County area.

As a person of color, Odell has championed his work in the community around environmental injustice, diverse civic involvement and engagement, and bridge-building between government, academia, and traditionally disenfranchised communities, often "ignored" or lacking a true collected voice and vision. He enjoys beverages, independent cinema, black ankle socks, talking fast and harshing the mellow.