I’m Steve Heikkila.  I’ve got an interesting and varied background, reflective of an interesting and varied life.

At Work

Early in my career I pursued and received an MA and a PhD in philosophy, specializing in moral and political philosophy, contemporary continental philosophy, and Kant. I taught and conducted my own academic research and writing program for a number of years after that, until economic considerations (terrible pay) drove me from the academic world.

Since my academic years I’ve carried with me my passion for critical thinking, creative problem solving, researching and writing, and my love of teaching and curriculum development. Regardless of what role I undertake, I always end up applying my natural curiosity about how things work, how the parts fit into the whole, and more importantly, how things can be configured and conjoined more effectively, efficiently, and more beautifully.

I’ve worked as an editor and project manager in the translation and localization industry. I’ve worn many hats–from project manager, account strategist, QA manager, and Director of Operations–in the digital marketing agency world. I’ve worked as a Director of Operations, project manager, account manager, and client services director for a social media software start up. And more recently, I’ve been an adult education coordinator and course curriculum developer for Portland’s local climbing organization, the Mazamas. I’ve provided marketing planning, strategy, and project management support for a new product launch for The Standard, a Portland, Oregon-based insurance provider. Currently I am working as a Senior Business Operations Analyst in Nike Technology’s Business Operations Center of Excellence.

I’m smart, passionate, tenacious, exuberant, and incredibly hard working. We should talk while I’m still available.

Please feel free to check out my resume on LinkedIn:  www.linkedin.com/in/steveheikkila/

 At Play

I’m an avid alpine mountaineering, ice climbing, and rock climbing enthusiast, and given the plethora of glaciated volcanoes in the Cascade Mountain range, I live in paradise. For years I lived along the Appalachian Mountain range, so I’ve always been a camping, hiking, and backpacking enthusiast. But when I moved to Portland in 2000 and saw all of these gorgeous volcanoes, it didn’t take long for it to occur to me that people actually climbed them. My first climb was a guided climb of Mt. Rainier. I fell in love and never looked back.

I received most of my training from the Mazamas here in Portland and feel incredibly fortunate and blessed to have had such an incredible educational resource. The Portland climbing community is amazing. I’ve made many incredible friends through climbing. I’ve since become a climb leader for the club. I actively teach many of the courses in which I was once a student. On most weekends with decent weather, pretty much year round, I’m out in the mountains trying to climb something. When the weather is not so decent you might find me travelling, cooking, cross country skiing, hiking in the Columbia Gorge, exploring one of Portland’s great restaurants, or trading tall climbing tales with friends over a hoppy IPA.

Final gendarme taken from the Summit of Forbidden Peak