Our Mission
Everyone deserves a chance after paying their debt to society, and hiring ex-offenders strengthens companies, communities, families and the economy.
Our mission is to help employers see these benefits, and send them the rehabilitated people who will prove it.
Our team
Nancy pance
Co-Founder, Operations
After years of mistakes and addiction, Nancy ended up in prison. It was a transformative experience, helped by forced sobriety and rehabilitative programs. She came out a changed person, but struggled to find work because of her criminal background. Through tenacity she found an employer willing to give her a chance, and making the most of the opportunity, she became one of the top 5 performers in a company of hundreds.
However, her dream was to own a business, so after earning her degree, she teamed up with her brother Joseph to run a fitness gym. Taking it from a struggling enterprise to one that thrives, she realized that her success could not have occurred without those willing to see past her biggest mistakes. Her goal and dream shifted to helping others in the way she was helped.
Nancy meets with employers to explain the value of hiring people like her, collaborates with the correctional department to select the most deserving candidates, and selects, prepares and matches ex-offenders to employers.
In this video, watch Nancy talk to the Oregon Department of Corrections about her journey and new life with Opportunity Oregon.
Joseph P. Carmack
Co-Founder
Joseph Carmack has more than 25 years of national and international experience in the security field, and started his own security company over 10 years ago. Joseph also owns a commercial property company, a tattoo shop, and co-owns a fitness gym with Nancy. His various companies employ 140 people and operate throughout the state.
After seeing firsthand the value of hiring an ex-offender, Joseph began brainstorming with his sister on creating a company that would exclusively hire those with criminal backgrounds. However, after seeing the amount of people looking for work, such an enterprise felt too inadequate to the mission, limited by it's own growth and size. So the business model changed to meet the mission goal - instead of employing ex-offenders, they would place as many of them in existing jobs within the community. Opportunity Oregon was born.
Joseph works behind the scenes and makes sure the lights stay on.