“I love that we focus on rural. You get to know people a lot better here. When I take my daughter to the store, they give her a hug. Everybody’s her auntie.”

Michelle Torina’s love for learning and books makes her a perfect fit for the Learning and Knowledge Management team, which directs Foundation-wide learning, manages research and policy projects, and supports the SelectBooks program for all of Oregon and Siskiyou County.

It’s no wonder, then, that the favorite part of her job is managing SelectBooks, the Foundation’s free book program. “Everyone here is encouraged to read and grow, and I just really love that,” she says.

Michelle graduated from a Portland high school and lived all over the country until her marriage brought her to Douglas County. Before joining the Foundation, she worked at Umpqua Health, where she was executive assistant to the chief medical officer and the chief administrative officer. Michelle, who has a Blackfeet tribal heritage, has also worked in the Education Department at Cow Creek Government offices.

Michelle’s recently discovered passion for painting has developed into a family affair, with her husband and 6-year-old daughter joining her in creating works of art.

“I think there is a secret to life,” she says. “If you want to be happy, go and help someone else. I want a happy life for myself and my family and a happy community and you gain that by who you support, who you help.”