Skip Newberry


Skip Newberry became president of the Software Association of Oregon [now Technology Association of Oregon] in September 2011.

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Skip Newberry fills his downtime with his kids and “short and sweet” running.
// Photo by Alexandra Shyshkina

Skip Newberry became president of the Software Association of Oregon in September 2011. Before then, Newberry, 34, worked for Portland’s mayor to help initiate the nation’s first open source software procurement policy by a city and co-developed CivicApps for Greater Portland, a regional open data and software application design initiative. He also co-founded SiBOOM Software, a software company serving the salon industry, and LawyerPrep LLC, a skills training firm. Newberry lives in Northeast Portland’s Irvington neighborhood with his wife, Olivia, and their young children, Louisa and Linus.

0512_LiveWorkPlay_SkipNewberry_02THEY SAY I’M …

“If you ask my wife, she’ll say I’m a workaholic. Relatively laid- back. Very focused. Dry sense of humor. TV shows that I find funny include Parks and Recreation and Modern Family. I find meaning and satisfaction out of work that is impactful: helping people realize their dream through their businesses, helping them connect with community resources, bringing people together where they might not have recognized a mutual benefit.”

0512_LiveWorkPlay_SkipNewberry_03SIMPLE PLEASURES

“It’s fantastic being able to walk to top-notch restaurants. It’s quite the amenity and luxury. For brunch, we like Tasty n Sons and also really enjoy Toro Bravo and Andina. I’m a huge fan of Peruvian food. For a long time my favorite movie was Better Off Dead, any 1980s John Cusack movies. The last three books I read were the Autobiography of Mark Twain, My Name is Red, and The Snowman, recently my son’s favorite book.”


0512_LiveWorkPlay_SkipNewberry_04BEING THE BEST

“I’ve taken a roundabout path in my short professional life. I hope to have repositioned SAO as a vital resource for software and tech companies in Oregon and SW Washington by strengthening connections to other markets, promoting the industry and ensuring that the business environment is one that is conducive to starting and growing innovative software and tech companies. I also want to be the best possible husband and father to my wife and kids.”

0512_LiveWorkPlay_SkipNewberry_05EARLY NERD

“I’ve always been fascinated by the role technology plays in people’s lives. My neighbor growing up was an engineer at Pratt & Whitney and my first exposure to the power of software was AutoCAD. A couple of kids in the neighborhood would get together and attempt to design cars using the software. The worst job I ever had was cleaning pigeon coops. My grandfather raised pigeons while I was growing up in Connecticut, outside of Hartford.”

0512_LiveWorkPlay_SkipNewberry_06DOWN TIME

“I spend a lot of time playing with the kids. My son has a little bike that doesn’t have pedals that he loves to ride. I like to run. It’s short and sweet and you actually get results. I’ve done four Hood to Coasts and I really enjoy hiking. I’ve been to all of the national parks in Utah, the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone and Glacier. I haven’t taken the kids camping. They are too young in my book. I have friends that have done it, but they are tougher than I am.”