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MusicPortland and MusicOregon announced today that co-founder and executive director Meara McLaughlin will step down from her role effective July 10.
‘It’s with a mix of sadness and hope that I’m stepping away from day-to-day operations at both organizations,” McLaughlin said in a statement. “This isn’t my goodbye to the mission—it’s a transition. I love this community and believe in this movement more than ever.”
McLaughlin originally launched MusicPortland in 2018, a trade organization focused on economic opportunity and policy for Portland’s music industry professionals. In 2022, MusicOregon was formed, another nonprofit focused on equity centered grants and programming for Oregon’s independent music sector. Both organizations have been vital to Portland’s independent music industry through efforts like the Echo Fund, which will have awarded more than $340,000 by the end of 2025 to independent musicians with the support of the city’s Office of Arts and Culture.
“The Boards of MusicPortland and MusicOregon are shifting focus to the foundational work of restructuring: tightening up nonprofit systems, building long-term sustainability, and setting the stage for broader impact,” McLaughlin said. “To give space for that shift, almost all program and funding efforts have been paused. Many of the programs we’ve built—First Mondays, City Sessions, the Business Directory, and more—are on hold while the restructuring proceeds. Bearing this in mind, it’s time for me to step back.”
She tells WW:
“MusicPortland began as a scrappy nonprofit coalition to keep musicians and venues from disappearing. I’ve focused on data-driven strategies with agile and innovative programs to build a thriving music economy. The momentum now calls for a more cautious and structured approach, and I wish the Board well as they reimagine the organization’s future.”
The transition comes on the heels of Oregon’s Land Use Board of Appeals upholding the Portland City Council’s decision to greenlight the build of Live Nation Entertainment’s music venue, a development both MusicPortland and MusicOregon have been vocal in opposing over the last year.
“Meara’s advocacy reframed how Oregon sees and supports its music creators,” Kate O’Brien, President of the MusicPortland Board, said in a statement. “Her tireless work leaves us with stronger policy foundations, deeper community alliances, a dynamic constituency of musicians, venues, and music professionals, and a clear mandate to keep equity at the center of everything we do.”
An interim administrator will be appointed, but no one has been announced yet. In the meantime, MusicPortland and McLaughlin invite musicians to WonderLove on July 7 at 6 pm to “celebrate all we have done to date and stand, “Independent. Together.” For what is to come!”
As for the future, McLaughlin noted in her statement, “you might see me working on some independent music-related projects. I know our music community will keep showing up, growing stronger, and pushing for the recognition and support it deserves.”
