About Earl Chaney

Earl Chaney saw a need for the programs offered by UR SUCCESS back when he was just graduating from Washington High School in Portland in 1975. His life experience as a teacher and a business owner, as well as the relationships he has formed though a lifetime of community involvement, further cemented Mr. Chaney’s determination to form UR SUCCESS. It’s emphasis on education, community service and providing youth with a doorway to employment are a reflection of Mr. Chaney’s drive to empower youth toward independence. After studying special education and business at San Jose State University and attending Walla Walla City College, Mr. Chaney taught special education and coached basketball at Lincoln High School. He later formed his own business, contracting with trucking companies along the West Coast. He knew through his decade-long tenure as  a program director at the Salvation Army’s Moore Street Community Center in Northeast Portland that he needed to put his ideas to work. As “Coach Earl” and director of the Salvation Army’s Biddy Basketball program, he saw from working first-hand with hundreds of families each year that many of them face complex challenges. UR SUCCESS provides a vehicle to have a greater positive impact for youth and their families, based on Mr. Chaney’s commitment to the importance of education, employment and community service.