A New Chapter for Cheri & Alberta Abbey

Cheri Jamison and Bethany Byrd-Hill, former & new Executive Director at Alberta Abbey (December 2025)

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This is a wonderful moment to pause, look around, and reflect on how much this organization has been transformed over the past year. Some of that transformation is immediately visible: the beautiful renovation of our original hardwood floors, the fresh paint, and the new visual art on the walls that bring this space to life. And some of it is less visible, but just as important—strengthening our systems and operations, improving the patron experience from the moment someone walks through our doors, and expanding the partnerships that help this place thrive.

Over the course of 2025, we’ve moved our mission forward in some truly meaningful ways:

• We launched our Visual Arts Program in partnership with artist and long-time Abbey tenant Sharita Towne and her organization, Black Art Ecology of Portland. This program has allowed us to improve spaces throughout the Abbey, rotate new visual art on our walls, and welcome more artists-in-residence. We look forward to inviting you back in Spring 2026 for an artist studios open house. We’re deeply grateful to Oregon Community Foundation and Meyer Memorial Trust for their support of this work.
  
  
• This summer, we piloted an Arts Tech Training Program, serving six talented young people interested in launching careers in live event production. Running June through August, this eight-week program offered hands-on instruction in live sound, lighting, and stage management, led by our Technical Director, Sean Flora. Each trainee was paid a stipend—and I’m especially proud to share that one participant went on to secure a sound production job at PSU this fall. Thank you to Pacific Power Foundation and Trust Management Services LLC for underwriting this program.
  
  
• Our signature onstage programming throughout the year was made possible by a generous grant from Spirit Mountain Community Foundation, allowing us to offer free and affordable events year-round. We are especially proud of the programs presented during Black History Month in February and Black Music Month in June.
  
  
• And the numbers tell an important story. We’re on track to welcome over 30,000 patrons by the end of 2025. Thirty-three percent of our shows served the BIPOC community—up from 27% the year before. Sixteen percent of events were free, up from 10%, and fully half of our programming offered some form of discounted access—up from just 17%.
  
  

I’m incredibly proud of the growth and stability we’ve achieved at Alberta Abbey Foundation during this time. We’ve clarified our priorities, deepened our relationships, and continued to welcome powerful artists and community gatherings into this space. The Abbey is not just surviving—it’s moving forward with intention.

None of this happens alone. I want to offer deep gratitude to our staff—your care, professionalism, creativity, and persistence are the backbone of this organization. To our volunteers: you show up with generosity and heart, and this building quite literally runs because of you. To our Board of Directors: thank you for your stewardship, trust, and belief in what this place can be. And to our partners, artists, renters, and neighbors—thank you for choosing the Abbey as a home for your work and your community.

At its core, Alberta Abbey Foundation exists to nurture the arts in North and Northeast Portland by amplifying opportunities for Black and underrepresented communities. That mission is powerful, essential, and alive in this room tonight. To reach the next level, it deserves leadership that is deeply connected to the cultural heart of this work.

With the organization now entering a strong new chapter, it feels like the right time for me to pass the torch. As passionate as I am about equity and access in the arts, I also believe that good leadership means knowing when to step aside and make space for others to rise. And personally, I’m ready for my next adventure too. Thank you for trusting me with this role, for supporting the Abbey, and for being part of this journey. 

I’m truly happy to introduce my successor, the new Executive Director of Alberta Abbey, Bethany Byrd-Hill. Bethany brings vision, care, and a deep commitment to community, and I have every confidence she will build on the momentum we’ve created together.

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Cheri facilitated a smooth executive leadership transition throughout December 2025 and completed her role as ED at Alberta Abbey on January 8th, 2026.