The Murdock Trust is proud to announce that Colby Reade, APR, will join the staff this September as director of communications. Reade was selected from a broad pool of candidates from around the Pacific Northwest following an extensive search process.
Most recently a senior account supervisor with the creative agency CMD, Reade has a 14-year background in communications, including work on behalf of brands such as Microsoft, JELD-WEN, The Portland Clinic, HEALTHWORKS and Avangrid Renewables. He has also collaborated with several local nonprofits including Willamette Valley Development Officers, Oregonians Give, Boys and Girls Aid and REACH CDC.
“Our team is so pleased to have Colby join the Trust, where he will help as we seek to celebrate and honor the stories of individuals and groups doing great work in the Northwest,” said Steve Moore, executive director of the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust. “The story of the Murdock Trust is really the story of the hundreds of nonprofits we support every year across Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Montana and Idaho. With his specialized background, Colby will help bring these outstanding examples of working for the common good to the broader public, while also identifying ways our team can service the communities of the Northwest and beyond.”
“It will sound cliché, but this is really a dream opportunity for me,” said Reade. “I pursued a career in communications in order to tell the positive stories taking place in our region. I am excited to have the opportunity to invest every day in spotlighting the amazing work underway by our grantees, as well as helping find ways to connect more groups in need of support with the Trust.”
The Murdock Trust is the largest private foundation in the Portland-Metro area. Its mission is to serve individuals, families and communities across the Pacific Northwest by providing grants and enrichment activities to organizations that strengthen the region’s educational, social, spiritual and cultural base in creative and sustainable ways.
A native of Portland and a graduate of the University of Oregon Honors College as a Presidential Student Scholar, Reade has received numerous awards for his work in strategic communications. He currently serves as the president of PRSA Oregon and regularly volunteers with a variety of nonprofit organizations around the Rose City. Reade and his wife enjoy taking their daughter around Portland to explore the natural beauty of the Northwest, as well as the myriad healthful and delicious local food and dining options.
