Ron is a native of Los Angeles. He practiced law for 39 years before retiring in the summer of 2015.  He spent the last 33 years as an Assistant United States Attorney with the Department of Justice in Los Angeles and Portland.  He was Chief of the Civil Division in Portland for seven years and Special Counsel to the U.S. Attorney for Community Engagement.  Ron has been honored by Attorney General Reno, other federal agencies, and the Oregon Trial Lawyers Association for his work promoting Civil Rights. He regularly teaches throughout Oregon and Washington about the history of the Civil Rights movement.  He also leads student groups to the South to learn about this history first hand.  Ron is a member of Temple Beth Israel, a regular guest lecturer at the Oregon Islamic Academy and a member of the Northwest Community Gospel Chorus.  He is married to Dr. Sheila Silver, Clinical Sexologist, with a private practice in Portland.  He also has two grown sons.