Portland Workforce Alliance recently welcomed Finnian McNeff as one of the newest members of our PWA Board of Directors. 

Finnian (he/him) is the Vice President of Human Resources at the Portland Timbers. He received his MBA from Washington State University after graduating from Portland State University, and has worked in HR positions throughout Portland and Oregon for over 15 years. 

Get to know Finnian through this Q&A below: 

 What is some of your best career advice?

“Be open-minded. You never know where your best opportunities are going to come from. There are so many exciting and interesting ways to create value in this world, be open to discovering strengths, skills and interests you never knew you had.” 

What was your most memorable job as a teenager?

“I had a lot of different jobs throughout my teens and early adulthood, food service, retail, maintenance, auto.

“The job that meant the most is when I’d work with my dad. He refinished hardwood floors. My brothers and I all worked with him at one time or another. The work was really hard but could be rewarding. He paid us fairly and seeing the finished result of bringing a decades-old wood floor back to life was satisfying. Getting burritos at King Burrito or burgers and a shake at Mike's Drive-In after a hard day’s work are some of my best memories of time spent with my dad.” 

What is something you learned in high school about work?

“Showing up and being reliable are the biggest factors in your success, no matter what the assignment.” 

What draws you to serve PWA?

“Employers expend so much effort to find the talent that will sustain and drive their businesses forward. One of the biggest inefficiencies in business is connecting those who are looking for opportunities to start or grow their career to organizations and employers who have demand for talent. The youth in our community are a large and under-utilized pool of talent. I want to help create more pathways and more awareness around pathways to connect our talented youth to careers that will help them build productive and rewarding lives.” 

Finnian was elected to the PWA Board of Directors in June 2024. The PWA board is made up of community leaders representing industry, postsecondary and K-12. Board members are active volunteers from diverse backgrounds who guide PWA’s mission and work.