Relay Resources Adds Port of Portland HR Director to Board of Directors

PORTLAND, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Relay Resources, the region’s leading social enterprise nonprofit advancing disability inclusion in the workplace, is excited to welcome Heather Chao, human resources director for Port of Portland, to its Board of Directors.

Chao is a strategic human resources executive with nearly 30 years of experience serving as the top HR leader across complex public and private sector organizations. As a member of the Relay Resources Board, she will lend her expertise providing guidance and insights to Relay’s executive team.

“Heather’s deep experience in people-focused work makes her a great addition to the Relay Resources Board of Directors,” said Dr. Camota Luebke. “We’ve had a long partnership with Port of Portland, which has prioritized disability inclusion employment at the Portland International Airport. Heather’s leadership is essential to the Port’s success, and it will be integral to our board as well.”

Heather Chao has been with the Port of Portland since 2016, leading enterprise-wide HR strategy, shaping organizational culture, and supporting organizational efforts to advance shared prosperity, employee growth, well-being, and engagement.

“I’m honored to join the Board of Directors of Relay Resources,” Chao said, “and I’m dedicated to advancing the Relay Resources mission to expand disability inclusion in the workplace, helping foster opportunity, equity, and growth for all.”

Heather was recognized as a 2025 HR Leadership Award honoree by the Portland Business Journal, reflecting her sustained impact on workplace culture, engagement, organizational performance, and employee health and well-being. She believes that HR sits “at the intersection of business strategy and human experience,” and approaches her work with the philosophy that people are the heart of every organization.

Heather holds a bachelor of arts in Political Science from Lewis & Clark College. She is an SHRM Senior Certified Professional, a Prosci® Certified Change Practitioner, a certified Integral Coach through New Ventures West, a certified Hogan Assessment Practitioner, and Dare to Lead™ trained. Before joining Port of Portland, Chao held several top HR leadership roles, including executive positions at Vestas-American Wind Technology, Reynolds School District, and Nortek Air Solutions. In these roles, she led large, multi-site teams, managed significant budgets, and guided organizations through complex business transformations, organizational change, and growth initiatives.

About Relay Resources

Relay Resources is the leading disability social enterprise nonprofit in the Pacific Northwest, with a mission to transform workplaces and communities by championing disability inclusion. The organization employs over 950 team members in four lines of business: Building Solutions, which includes janitorial, landscaping, and floor care services; Document Solutions; Supply Chain Solutions; and Disability Inclusion and Accessibility Consulting Services. Additionally, Relay operates three programs: Competitive Integrated Employment, which places and supports disabled people in competitive jobs in the community; abilIT, a cybersecurity and technology training and job placement program; and Affordable Housing, which manages 760 units for 1,500 residents, 27% of whom have a household member with a disability. Learn more at relayresources.org.