Downtown Retail Council

Ben Forstag joined the Portland Business Alliance in December 2019 as the senior director of strategic partnerships. In his role, he manages the membership and event departments, ensuring the Alliance remains responsive to members’ needs.

Ben has a professional background in business development, organizational management, communications, marketing, and technology integration. Prior to joining the Alliance, he was the managing director of Mac’s List, a Portland-based talent recruitment website, and a communications professional in the nonprofit health care sector.

Ben has a bachelor’s and master’s degree in political science, both from American University in Washington, D.C. He spends his free time gardening and chasing his kids around Portland’s Rose City Park neighborhood. And, even after 40 years of heartbreak, he’s still an avid fan of the Cleveland Indians.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-lien/

Lisa Schroeder is the executive chef and owner of Mother's Bistro & Bar in downtown Portland and author of “Mother’s Best” cookbook. She is a graduate of The Culinary Institute of America and was chosen as a Top Student Chef by Food and Wine Magazine. She honed her cooking skills at Le Cirque & Lespinasse in New York and Moulins des Mougins and L’Auberge de L’Eridan in France. She opened Mother’s Bistro & Bar in 2000 to rave reviews and the “Restaurant of the Year” title from Willamette Week.

Lisa has appeared on the Today Show, Good Morning America, Roker on the Road, QVC and many other television programs. She was the recipient of the Oregon Commission for Women Woman of Achievement Award for 2014, Portland Business Journal's Businesswoman of the Year award, International Association of Culinary Professionals Chef/Restaurateur Award of Excellence and Restaurateur of the Year by Independent Restaurateur Magazine.  Mother's Bistro & Bar has received numerous accolades as well, including "Top Restaurant Bargain" from Food and Wine Magazine, “Best 101 Breakfasts in America" from Urbanspoon and consistent “Award of Excellence” from Tripadvisor. Lisa is also an active member of the community, participating in a numerous charities and causes.

Mark Wells came to the Portland Business Alliance and Downtown Portland Clean and Safe in February of 2021 as the Director of Operations after a two-year stint in sales and marketing for a local security firm.  Apart from this experience, Mark has spent his career in public service in a variety of federal, state, and local law enforcement and crime prevention positions and roles.

Mark made his way up to the Northwest after 9/11, when he was in federal law enforcement and transferred to the Air Marshal Service and was based in Seattle.  After meeting his now- wife of 17 years in Portland during this time, he moved to Portland and served as a municipal police officer and a state humane agent before working for almost 11 years with the City of Portland’s Crime Prevention Program.  It was this role where Mark found his true calling- community organizing and public safety advocacy work.  Mark worked and supported community-based crime prevention and public safety programming in almost every neighborhood and business district in Portland.  This time provided a rich opportunity to make and build long and lasting relationships and partnership with many government and community groups, individuals, and organizations.

On November 1^st, 2021, Mark was appointed as the new Executive Director of Clean & Safe and Vice President of Downtown Services for the Portland Business Alliance.  He now leads a small but seasoned and accomplished team of professionals to manage a host of vital downtown programs including the Clean Start janitorial program with Central City Concern, a new and updated safety services program, a series of retail and marketing programs and initiatives, and a new mental health outreach program.  Mark is excited and thankful to be in a role helping our downtown community bounce back from a challenging couple past years and supporting all Portlanders who call downtown their home, place of work or playground.