Our Team
Meet the NSBE PRO-PDX Chapter Executive Board
GAETAN - DAUPHIN NZOWO
President
Gaetan-Dauphin Nzowo was born and raised in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). He graduated from Oregon State University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. Gaetan currently works as construction inspector/designer for David Evans and Associates. He is passionate about Transportation engineering and social justice.
Outside of work, Gaetan is a humanitarian and social justice advocate. He is one of the board members for Understanding Racism Foundation (URF), a non-profit organization committed to exposing and eliminating racism in our communities. As an immigrant from the DRC, Gaetan strives to educate individuals and raise awareness about the political and human rights issues in the hope of peace, security and democracy in Africa, particularly in the Congo.
SHANEKA ODOM
Vice President
Shaneka Owens was born and raised in Baltimore, MD. She received her B.S. degree in Civil Engineering and M.S. degree in Transportation and Infrastructure Studies, both from Morgan State University. Shaneka is an Operations and Major Projects Engineer for the Federal Highway Administration's Oregon Division. She is responsible for federal oversight on highway transportation projects in the Portland Metropolitan Area.
Shaneka loves to mentor youth and volunteer with local non- profit organizations. She is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging more youth of color to pursue STEM careers. In addition, Shaneka is a professional seamstress that loves to create custom clothing during her free time.
J'REYESHA BRANNON, P.E.
Treasurer
J'reyesha Brannon is a born and raised Oregonian and University of Portland alumni (’15), where she graduated with a degree in civil engineering. J'reyesha currently works as a design engineer and project manager for the City of Portland. She has managed sewer rehabilitation, treatment plant / pump station facility upgrades, and potable water systems. She is passionate about accessibility and inclusion for communities of color, particularly in STEM fields. Outside of work she is an avid volunteer, holding roles in a variety of community organizations. In her spare time, she manages a small vintage resale business and is an artist.
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J'reyesha has served as Vice President (2019-2021) and President (2021-2023) for NSBE Portland Professionals.
MUJIDAT SAAKA
Secretary
Mujidat has 10+ years of industry experience in K-12 education, specializing in data-driven instructional strategies, designing, and implementing academic/behavior intervention processes, automating administrative tasks, and developing analytical research to support strategic planning. She earned her B.S. in Natural Science from the University of Pittsburgh and an M.S. in Advanced Data Analytics from the University of North Texas.
In her current position as Data Analyst with Tahn Analytics LLC., Mujidat leads a team in providing insights and AI-based solutions to school districts in Oregon. Mujidat is active in the community. She volunteers with the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) as a member of the African American Black Student Success Advisory Board. She is on the Board of the Metropolitan Youth Symphony, doing her part to enhance opportunities for diverse populations to engage in the arts. She is also a civic leader and serves as Vice President of the City of Hillsboro Planning Commission.
Mujidat champions inclusion and believes in the beauty of diversity. She works to close the gaps between the privileged and the underserved. By employing her skills, she waters the growth and development of the voiceless and provides insights that propel BIPOC communities forward.
KENT MERTILIEN
Board Member
Kent is a first generation Haitian - American, originally from Miami, Fl. He attended University of Central Florida and Arizona State University for his degree in Electrical Engineering. Kent has over eight years of electrical engineering experience throughout different industries including copper mining, space launch ground support design, and semiconductor. Kent is a Product Development Engineer at Intel where he creates and test complex hardware solutions ensuring optimal product quality.
His passion lies in community engagement and mentoring where he helps new employees from minority background feel welcome so that they have a space to connect and build a foundation. He also mentors and introduces STEM as an opportunity to young black youth with hands-on science projects and one-one engagements.
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Kent has served as President (2019-2021) and Programs Co-Chair (2021-2023) for NSBE Portland Professionals.
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WINNIE MESA
Programs Chair
Winnie is a native of Cameroon, a country in Central Africa where she was born and raised. Winnie left her country for a small town in Oregon to pursue a degree in Electrical engineering and graduated Summa Cum Laude. She recently completed a Master of Science in Analytics from Georgia Institute of Technology while working full-time as a product manager for a retail corporation. Winnie is passionate about Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and she's an advocate for black women in STEM. She enjoys mentoring students and aspiring professionals. In her spare time, she loves to travel, get lost in the pages of her favorite book, watch movies, and enjoy time with her friends and family.
CHIMDI CHIKEZIE
Collegiate Chair
Chimdi is originally from Imo State Nigeria. He has a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Nigeria and decided to focus on user experience design. To help solve more problems that users face while using software, Chimdi decided to pursue a master's degree in Computer Science from Oregon State University. His studies focused on human-computer interaction. Chimdi is passionate about identifying inclusivity biases that arise when users use software, finding solutions to fix those biases, and making recommendations on how they can be avoided in the future. Currently, Chimdi is working as a Graduate Teaching/Research Assistant.
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When Chimdi is not working on academics, he volunteers for organizations on his University's campus. Chimdi helps to increase the number of culturally responsible Black Engineers who excel academically, succeed professionally, and positively impact the community. Art, creative photography serves as a form of motivation and relaxation for him.
BRYAN HALL
Senior Executive Chair
Bryan Hall, the 386th Lifetime Member of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), is passionate about diversifying the STEM pipeline while building community among aspiring, developing, and excelling minority engineers. Over his 13-year career in NSBE, Bryan has served in multiple collegiate leadership roles for the University of North Texas and Iowa State University as well as the special events coordinator for Bryan serves as the Finance Chair for the NSBE Portland Professionals Chapter. He aims to fulfill NSBE's mission, which is "to increase the number of culturally responsible Black Engineers who excel academically, succeed professionally, and positively impact the community."
Bryan has over seven years of professional experience in quality assurance, test engineering, and software development and currently works as a Software Quality Engineer at Intel Corporation. He possesses his Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from the University of North Texas and his Master of Science in Computer Engineering from Iowa State University. Bryan pursues his Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Engineering at Iowa State University. He aims to ignite a passionate flame within you to engage, enrich, and empower the community surrounding you.
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Bryan has served as Treasurer (2019 - 2021) and Vice President (2021-2022) for NSBE Portland Professionals.
DR. COREY FRAZIER, P.E.
Senior Executive Chair
Corey Frazier, Ph.D., PE is a proud “Air Force Brat” whose experiences as a youth influenced his career trajectory in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Applied Arts, Mathematics) advocacy, systems-thinking, and leadership roles. He currently works for Intel Corporation as a Technical Marketing Strategist and Operations Manager for artificial intelligence products. He has had multiple roles in engineering management, design team leadership, innovation coaching, and business development in areas such as supercomputer hardware development, quality systems management, and startup portfolio management and incubation.
Prior to Intel, he worked for NASA’s Space Shuttle Program for 7 years in Houston, Texas as a trajectory design lead. He has a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering and a M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Central Florida and a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Texas A&M University. In the community, Corey serves on the Oregon Innovation Council and a board member on the State Plumbing Board. He serves on the Advisory Board for the College of Community Innovation and Education at the University of Central Florida, is a board member for iUrban Teen, and is on the executive board of directors at the Urban League of Portland (ULPDX). In his spare time, Corey has translated his creative passions into content creation across Twitch and YouTube. In partnership with ULPDX, he has piloted the CreatorSpace, a program offering creative camps and seminars for youth of color to express themselves and see themselves in the media they consume (comics, digital and traditional art, writing, online content creation, and gaming).
