Who is Cyreena Boston?

Cyreena grew up in Gresham and the Parkrose area of Northeast Portland, and now lives in the Sumner neighborhood with her puppy, Luke. In 1990 at age 10, she first began knocking on doors for the Portland Organizing Project, a coalition that worked to protect Northeast neighborhoods from gang crime and to provide emergency services. Her participation quickly expanded into grassroots leadership when she went beyond volunteer work in neighborhood parks to organizing food co-ops, summer day camps, and voter registration drives.

An alumna of Spelman College holding a Bachelor of Arts degree in American and European History, Cyreena returned to Northeast Portland to work in Multnomah County SUN Schools to help improve the lives of children. Working for Self Enhancement, Inc. in Faubion Elementary, Sabin Elementary, Beaumont, Binnsmead, and HB Lee Middle Schools, she case managed over 150 students to improve their home life and school behavior. Through this experience she knows first hand the essential role public schools play in families and neighborhoods.

In 2006 and 2007 under DNC Chairman Gov. Howard Dean, Cyreena was the direct voice of Oregon Democrats to the Democratic Party of Oregon as its Constituency Director. The only Constituency Director in the nation, her main role was to work with diverse groups of constituents statewide and nationally, and to train grassroots activists on progressive politics for the Common Good. Cyreena is also a Wellstone Campus Camp Trainer and has politically trained over 300 college students nationwide in the sprit and style of the late Senator Paul Wellstone, on topics such as media relations, strategic planning, and community and social justice organizing.

Cyreena is the recipient of the first Neil Kelly Service Award for Community Excellence. Her belief that an active, engaged and involved citizenry is a crucial element of electoral politics and proper public policy is at the heart of her professional calling.

Cyreena is a member of the Oregon Bus Project, the Hispanic Metropolitan Chamber, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and is a parish member of the Metropolitan Alliance for the Common Good, representing St. Andrew Catholic Church. Cyreena sits on the Multnomah County Citizen Involvement Committee, and is an active volunteer with several non-profit organizations in the Portland area, including Girls Inc., Minds Matter, Big Brother Big Sister, Jobs with Justice, Daybreak Shelter, Oregon Action, and Self Enhancement Inc. She is a board member of the Portland Urban League and Healing Roots Village, among others, and lends her time advising outreach efforts for the Sumner Neighborhood Association.