D.L. Richardson and Jessie DuBose Join FBO Board of Directors

D.L. Richardson is a longtime educator and currently serves as the Southern Oregon Black and African American Student Success Specialist with the Southern Oregon Education Service District. Based in Ashland, he also serves as a leader with the Black Southern Oregon Alliance, a community-based organization that connects, celebrates, and advocates for the Black community in Southern Oregon. Originally from Selma, Alabama, Richardson’s recent leadership includes service with the Oregon Cares Fund for Black Relief and Resiliency, the Oregon African American/Black Student Success Advisory Committee, the Oregon Racial Justice Council’s Education Recovery Committee, and the Jackson County United Way Board of Directors.

“To move Oregon forward for kids and families, we have to not only change systems, but change the systemic mindsets that have been put in place," said Richardson. “I’m excited to join the FBO Board, where the outlook is not just what we can do, but what we are going to do. Our shared work is more than an opportunity—it’s a mandate.”

Born and raised on her family’s multigenerational farm and ranch, Jessie DuBose is a leader and advocate working at the intersection of youth development, food systems, and community-wide well-being. She is a program manager with the Southern Oregon Educational Service District, working alongside community members to support student success through the ​​Southern Oregon STEAM Hub, dual-credit coordination, and the Klamath Promise initiative. DuBose previously led the first Blue Zones Project community in the Pacific Northwest, and also serves on the SMART Reading Leadership Council for South Central Oregon. Her two children are now the fifth generation on their family farm.

“FBO is dedicated to listening deeply and unabashedly at all levels. The approach is to not just feel good, but to do and create good,” said DuBose. “As I join the Board, I’m eager to heighten and enhance statewide conversations about rural Oregon, the poor in Oregon, and the misunderstood. When we get past divisive rhetoric and truly listen, we can find the common ground to do good for every child.”

“For D.L. and Jessie, the work of systems change is anything but abstract," said Whitney Grubbs, Executive Director of FBO. “With deep roots and ties across Southern Oregon, they each bring a unique vantage point into how our state and schools can interlace with communities to better support every child, particularly in rural regions. We’re incredibly grateful to have them as part of FBO’s leadership.”