Bios:

Brian Nern, Artistic Director, was born and raised in Washington, DC. In addition to hosting a weekly radio show he’s acted as both Music Director and Program Director at radio stations, and worked in marketing for Elektra Records. He produced live sporting events for television in the mid-Atlantic region for 20 years before moving to Portland in 2015.
Brian joined PDX Pop Now! as a festival volunteer in 2017 and was on the Listening Committee from 2018 until becoming Compilation Coordinator in 2019.
He can also be found volunteering for Portland Retro Gaming Expo, Portland Radio Project, attending local shows, or hunting for new and delicious food around Portland.

Julia Granet, Compilation Coordinator, was born and raised in Santa Barbara, CA. In 2015, she moved to Oregon to pursue graphic design at the University of Oregon in the Art and Technology program. Throughout her time at UO, she curated numerous pop-up shows for her personal brand, volunteered with the JSMA, and created original design work for the local Hillel. Getting involved in these ways allowed her to create strong connections with fellow artists. Upon relocating to Portland, she dove into artist management and started volunteering with PDX Pop Now!, first as a festival volunteer then moving into the Booking Team and Compilation Coordinator.
By day, she dedicates her efforts to a nonprofit, working to provide access to nutritious food for those in need. She believes everyone should have the same access to necessities, whether that’s art, music, or food. Julia has always been a fan of music. At a young age, she was introduced to the Beatles, and her love for music only grew. Nowadays, you can find her listening to Charli XCX, Beach House, or The Radio Dept. She looks forward to meeting all of you soon! Feel free to email her with any questions regarding music, the arts, or where the best impossible burger in PDX is!

Michele Werts, Volunteer & Outreach Director, was born and raised in Milwaukie, OR. She attended her first show, Bon Jovi, at the Rose Garden at age 15 and has since travelled all over the US, Canada, and beyond for shows along with volunteering at festivals like Bonnaroo, Outside Lands, FireFly, and Hangout Fest over the last decade.
In her free time you can catch her hula hooping in the park, playing kickball around town, and finding the best variations of her favorite foods at different local food carts and restaurants.

Sara McCormick, Logistics Coordinator, received her BFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art in 2005. Since then she has worked as a gallerist and curator for a variety of spaces in and around Portland, including Launch Pad Gallery, The Recycled Rain Project. She was also Director of the Ford Gallery in SE Portland. She currently works for Voicebox Karaoke, and spends her evenings watching movies and going to see live music or dancing every chance she gets.
She has been an avid attendee of PDX Pop Now! since 2012, and has volunteered in various capacities since 2016. She joined the planning committee in 2022.