Meet Our Team
Find out more about our Board of Directors and why they were drawn to serving the psychedelic community in Portland and beyond.

President
Keith Gilmore
I am a writer and speaker, and I work professionally offering psychedelic integration services. Since 2019, I’ve served as the facilitator for the PPS Men’s Support Group. I am now serving on the Board of Directors to do my part in stewarding the psychedelic renaissance in a wise manner.
I believe that PPS serves an integral function in the local community and beyond as a platform for “finding the others” and encouraging healthy community in this world of distraction and disconnection. I am continually humbled by the psychedelic experience; it has been a profound ally along my own path of individuation.

Treasurer
Steven Merriss
I first encountered psychedelics while attending college and I’ve had an interest ever since. I believe psychedelics can play an important role in self-discovery, creativity and spirituality. My primary interest is on the spiritual side and the feeling of connection and oneness that they can make possible.
I obtained an Economics degree from University of Oregon and have spent close to 25 years in the accounting field as a CPA where I have been able to work with many nonprofits in the local community. I’m using my background to assist the Portland Psychedelic Society in accounting and management and I’m happy to be able to help in this time of renewed interest in the potential benefits and therapeutic applications for psychedelics.

Member at Large
Julian Voss-Andrae
I grew up in Hamburg, Germany, where I explored my fascination with art and later with physics at the Free University Berlin. After completing my graduate research, which took a deep dive into the foundations of quantum physics in Anton Zeilinger’s lab at the University of Vienna, Austria, my heart pulled me to Portland where my beloved wife-to-be resided, and where I discovered my passion for creating sculpture. Since graduating from the Pacific Northwest College of Art in 2004, I have been working as a full-time sculptor. I operate my art studio in Sellwood, where my team and I fabricate sculptures in stainless steel, bronze, stone and glass.
Just as quantum physics unlocks a door to transcend our current materialist-reductionist paradigm, I view traditional plant medicines as opening a door to the sacred within ourselves and to the interconnectedness we have with each other and with the living world. The potential for healing, both on an individual and a societal level, is profound and urgently needed.

Volunteer Development Co-Chair
Linda Zimmerman
Education and outreach about the positive benefits of the thoughtful use of psychedelics is the reason I became involved with the Portland Psychedelic Society. I am very interested in the possibilities of using psychedelics to help people with depression, anxiety, and PTSD. My brother, a Vietnam Vet, might have really benefitted from having access to Psychedelic Assisted Therapy.
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I have over 14 years of non-profit board leadership experience providing organization and executive board development, program development, volunteer management, fundraising, and community development for several nonprofit organizations.
I’m honored to join the PPS board to collaborate and bring my experience and expertise to support the PPS mission, grow our volunteers, supporters, programs and services as well as expand our partnerships and the community we serve.

Volunteer Development Co-Chair
Taryn Wheeler
My involvement in PPS is driven by a heartfelt desire to foster a community where individuals can find support, understanding, and education about the potential of psychedelics for healing and personal growth. In my role as Volunteer Co-Chair, I hope to help PPS in fostering a safe space for open dialogue, research, and exploration.
After spending 13 years in the corporate world focused on business operations and project management, I decided to follow my heart’s calling and start my own coaching and breathwork facilitation practices. I currently coach corporate professionals on their quest for meaning beyond the confines of the boardroom. Outside of my work, I find inspiration in creative outlets like writing and painting, and enjoying the beauty of the Pacific Northwest with my dog, Huxley.

Events Chair
Heather
I serve as the Events Chair, helping to coordinate the people and processes that go into producing Portland Psychedelic Society’s many on-going and one-time events. I come to this position with over 15 years of event coordination experience in the nonprofit world. I look forward to broadening and diversifying the types of events PPS offers to better serve the needs and interests of the growing psychedelic community.
My personal experience with psychedelics has been deeply spiritual in nature, shaping my understanding of my place in the world. I strongly believe these medicines have the potential to transform lives, engender more compassionate relations between people, and reveal the profound truth of the “interconnectedness of all things.” It is vitalizing to be a part of the psychedelic renaissance!

Organizational Development Chair
Peggy Parks
As a member of the Portland Psychedelic Society Board of Directors, I have been working on organizational development and strategic planning. I have an MBA and have served on several non profit boards. I am using that skill set to bring structure to PPS. This will allow us to be a more productive , directed and powerful resource in our community. At the same time I am exploring the multiverse. This is an energizing and amazing opportunity that I am pursuing with joy.