Community Engagement Program Coordinators

Christina Barboza

Highland Edelman

Marcus Ford

Christina joins the Washington County Community Engagement team with a strong ability to build relationships and communicate complex processes to a wide array of audiences.  She has a passion for growing and fostering community engagement through mobilizing communities and a strong sense of social responsibility.

Christina has dedicated the past eight years to empowering vulnerable populations to engage in conversations and processes that directly impact their respective communities. She has worked with a diverse population of communities, community agencies and partners to ensure equitable access and opportunities for all. 

Christina has been with Washington County since 2004. In her previous role as a Juvenile Counselor, she worked with youth who had been sexually exploited and/or gang impacted. She is a previous member of the Oregon Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force and previously chaired and developed Washington County’s Subcommittee on the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children.

Christinia is a skilled public speaker and trainer, invited to present at trainings and events across the country, on subject matters involving gangs, commercial sexual exploitation of children, and juvenile justice.

At Pacific University, Christina earned Bachelor of Arts degrees in Psychology and Spanish, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Social Work. Christina is fluent in Spanish.

Highland Edelman comes to the Washington County Community Engagement Program with a wide array of experience in the non-profit and private sectors. She grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada, where her passion for community engagement was sparked while volunteering to get youth voters out to the polls on election day. Soon after, she found herself leading voter efforts on several local and federal campaigns.

Over the past ten years, Highland has worked across the country helping community members find their voice on issues they care about like worker rights, higher education, and environmental justice. She has held positions at Greenpeace USA, Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Uber Technologies, Inc., and the Washington State Legislature. Outside of work, Highland has volunteered for numerous community organizations including University Beyond Bars working with incarcerated men to achieve college degrees and Big Brothers, Big Sisters as a youth mentor.

Highland is a first-generation college graduate of the University of Washington. She graduated Magna Cum Laude and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Law, Economics, and Public Policy with a minor in Human Rights. At UW, her research largely focused on the social implications of political polarization which ultimately fostered a strong desire to increase community participation in government decision-making. She has a passion for building relationships and empowering underserved communities to take action, and a special interest in increasing environmental equity.

Marcus joins the Washington County Community Engagement team with passion and excitement. He is thrilled to be a part of the fantastic growth in our county to prioritize the people and communities that we serve. Marcus has worked to connect people from all different walks of life together in both his personal and professional life.

Marcus has held roles in Washington County since 2010. In his previous role as a Probation and Parole Officer, he worked with several unique populations including victims and offenders of sex crimes, individuals/families of individuals transitioning from prison, and children/families involved in the criminal justice system. Marcus previously chaired the Sex Offender Supervision Network and assisted in the development and implementation of a statewide information system for re-entry planning.

Marcus is a skilled trainer and public speaker who has created, taught, and directed trainings on home visits, officer safety, defensive tactics, use of force, and transition planning. He is passionate about training and enjoys learning and implementing new subject matter.

Marcus was born and raised near Monterey, California, but has called Washington County his home and community for 10 years. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology at Willamette University, where he was a member of the football team and an acapella group.