Podcasts about oregon cities

Oregon lawmakers recently unveiled a proposal to maintain the state’s roads and bridges. House Bill 2025 would raise the state’s gas tax by 15 cents, raise vehicle fees and add oversight to the Oregon Department of Transportation, according to OPB reporting. The bill could raise more than $2 billion annually by 2034, according to a revenue analysis. What does the proposal mean for cities and counties? Dan Dorran is a Umatilla County Commissioner. Jim McCauley is the legislative director for the League of Oregon Cities. They join us with more on the role that cities and counties play in Oregon’s transportation system and why funding is critical at the local level.

Understanding the past that was passed down to us is a focus of the Sunrise Project through a process of remembrance, repair and redemption.

Linda Nishioka is the City Councilor for Ward 2 in Salem, Oregon, and currently serves as the Council President. Prior to her election, she contributed to the Salem community by serving on various city committees and as a board member for local nonprofit organizations.  Linda is retired from a rewarding career in healthcare, having worked as a Registered Dental Hygienist and as the Director of Facial Plastic Services at Willamette Ear, Nose, Throat & Facial Plastic Services in Salem.

From farm girl to executive program manager, Donna has spent her career building strong communities, relationships and empowering others. Many may remember her from Bella Donna's Bistro, but her passion extends beyond owning a successful small business. With nearly 30 years of experience leading programs for multi-million dollar organizations, Donna has championed integrity, compassion, and the courage to advocate for positive change, especially for women. Her deep roots in Washington County and extensive community service in Forest Grove has fueled her commitment to fostering a thriving, inclusive future for all. Thank you to our podcast sponsor, Allied Video Productions!

Mindy has lived in Gladstone for over 30 years (and grew up in North Portland), prior to moving to Gladstone along with husband Steve they spent 12 years moving across states with the US Navy. They have 2 children and 5 grandsons. Mindy has spent her career dedicated to service. Working with and for the public has enabled Mindy to form relationships with professionals from other cities in and around the area. She has been at her current job for over 30 years. Mindy has worked alongside Gladstone residents to champion parks and green-spaces and she has served on the Parks Board and the Budget and Audit Committee. Prior to her elected position in 2020, she served for a year with the By-Laws committee and now champions other cities to ‘get those bylaws updated'! She believes the most valuable asset Gladstone has is the People and the Parks. ‘If we care for them everything else that is good will follow'.  Currently a liaison to the Clackamas County Library Board, stating she has gained a deep respect for the libraries and their patrons. Partnering with Clackamas County, Gladstone has just opened a brand-new Library building right on main street. This new building along with a new Public Works building and City Hall/Police Station has solidified Gladstone's commitment to work on their downtown core focusing on revitalization. Mindy has served in many other liaison appointments, as this will be her second 4-year term with the City. Changing liaison appointments each year has given her insights to the wants and needs of the residents in Gladstone. She served as Vice-Chair of the Women's Caucus in 2024 and will serve as President for the 2025 year. She has been with the Women's Caucus almost since its beginning during COVID. She says; the LOC has opened many avenues for learning and growth, friendships and mentors and so much more! Serving with and learning from people all across Oregon plus the LOC staff has been the most unexpected and needed addition to her elected position. When not at work or at a city meeting you can find her on any Golf Course, in the Parks with other community members, in her yard trying to bring in the butterflies and bees, at Church, volunteering at Gladstones transitional housing facility, Tukwila Springs and helping efforts with the non-profit group The Friends of Gladstone Nature Park. She believes; family time is a gift, quiet time is a blessing and faith is a must. She is a volunteer at heart and truly appreciates a good conversation. Thank you to our podcast sponsor, Allied Video Productions!

Jeanette Shaw is the Senior Director of Policy at Forth and a member of their leadership team. Forth is a non-profit that advances electric, smart and equitable access to clean transportation. At Forth, Jeanette is responsible for public policy and regulatory affairs at the state and federal levels. She has over three decades of extensive international, national, state and local public policy expertise in technology and association management focusing on issues such as manufacturing investment credits, economic development zones, workforce training, organizational development, and transportation options such as shared mobility, first and last mile transportation options, and light and heavy-duty rail. Jeanette was also tapped to help start TechNet, a national technology trade association.  Jeanette Shaw was elected to the Tigard City Council in 2020 and began her service in 2021. She served on the Oregon Solutions Transportation and Electric Vehicle Collaborative; the State of Oregon Career Technical Education Advisory Commission and was a founding Board member of the STEM STEAM East Multnomah Partnership. Councilor Shaw holds an Executive MBA from Stanford University and a Bachelor of Science from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She is married to Jason Shaw, a fifth-generation Oregonian.

Mayor Julie Fitzgerald of Wilsonville is an Oregonian, having also lived in other Western states. She is a graduate of Oregon State University in the School of Agriculture. After graduating, she managed her family's 1,000 head sheep ranch in Curry County. Julie discovered her lifetime career by volunteering to lead a fundraising drive to bring NPR and OPB to the southern Oregon coast between Brookings and Gold Beach. Julie is mostly retired now after a 43 year career in non-profit leadership and philanthropy, to advance education, health care and conservation for leading Oregon charitable groups including community hospitals, the OHSU Foundation, the Nature Conservancy, and the Oregon Zoo Foundation. She's raised three sons, and knows how busy single mothers can be. And with her husband Bob, she has two grown stepdaughters, and two young grandchildren. Mayor Julie has run for office twice, and was elected in 2012 to the Wilsonville City Council, then decided not to run again, but in 2020, she ran for Mayor. She is completing that term this December, and looks forward to being able to spend more time with friends and family, and to pursue interests in the outdoors, as well as reading, and enjoying community theater, art and travel.

Melanie Kebler grew up in Bend, graduating from Bend High, and returned to her hometown in 2018 after attending the University of Michigan and Lewis and Clark Law School. Kebler was elected as the City of Bend's Mayor in 2022, having first been elected to the City Council in 2020. During her time on Council, Bend has approved nearly 1,000 new affordable homes, invested millions of one-time state and federal funds into solving homelessness in collaboration with Deschutes County, and won significant federal grants for transportation infrastructure that will reconnect the community in climate-friendly ways. Melanie has spent her legal career working for the public, first as a Deputy District Attorney and then as a crime victims' rights lawyer at the nonprofit Oregon Crime Victims Law Center. She is honored to serve as the Mayor of her hometown.

First appointed to the Newport City Council for a two-year term in 2018, Cynthia then won her seat in 2020. She is currently running unopposed for another four-year term. Cynthia reflects on the fact that the City has spent six years investing in her education about the city. She wants to give back as it takes a while to learn to ask the right questions. She never thought she would be in an elected position, but friends urged her on. She says, “So, I went for it, surprising myself most of all.” Cynthia has observed that the conversation changes when more women are in policy-making roles. She has been a strong, primary advocate of childcare, playgrounds, public safety, and housing the unsheltered. She serves on several city committees: Airport, Budget, Public Arts, Commercial Core Revitalization Plan. Additional city/county committees are Solid Waste Advisory, County Consortium, Public Safety, Lincoln County Housing Advisory. In Cynthia's career as a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist and Advanced Practice Nurse (retired), she has built a life of serving others. She tends to look through the lens of public health in every policy of her city. Among her leisure activities are gardening, painting and writing poetry. She lives with her husband and black Chihuahua, Ser Jorah of Mormont, overlooking the ocean on the Oregon Coast where she marvels at her extraordinary luck to be in such a place.

Felicita is an enthusiastic nonprofit professional whose passion for the community has guided her work. She joined the THPRD Board in 2017. She has lived in Washington County since age five and took her first job as a camp counselor – at THPRD – when she was 15. Felicita is the Public Affairs Manager at Northwest Health Foundation. There she supports advocacy campaigns to change public policy, often in partnership and at the direction of community-based organizations. She also manages government relations and leads NWHF's communications, among other responsibilities. Previously, she was the Policy and Advocacy Officer for Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center serving Washington and Yamhill Counties. In this role she supported the efforts of the internal Equity Team and lead the work of the Advocacy Team. Felicita earned her bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of San Francisco with a minor in hospitality management. Outside of work she volunteers and hosts quarterly gatherings for Latinx leaders in Washington County providing opportunities for her peers to connect and discuss social justice issues impacting our community. She was recognized for her service to the community with the American Association of University Women “Breaking Barriers” award in 2019. That same year she had the opportunity to travel to China as part of the American Council for Young Political Leaders whose aim is to provide a global perspective to local electeds. In her spare time, she loves to dance and travel.

The Federal Railroad Administration, which is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation, is investing more than  $40 million in rail funding for Oregon. Projects span the state and include work in Linn and Lake Counties and Coos Bay.   Prineville is getting funding specifically allocated for rural communities. The grant will help the city restore its rail line and improve safety. Prineville’s railway has experienced its ups and downs. When the lumber business was booming in the ’60s, the railway was a major economic driver for the region.   In recent years, the railway has had to reinvent itself to stay in business. We hear more about the efforts from Matt Wiederholt, the general manager of the City of Prineville Railway.          

Mayor Tamie Kaufman is a property manager by trade and has served on several committees including the City Council for the City of Gold Beach and was elected Mayor in 2020 and was just recently re-elected. She has a Bachelor's degree from Eastern Oregon University (Philosophy, Politics and Economics) and an Associate's Degree from Southwestern Oregon Community College. www.goldbeachoregon.gov

Jeanette Shaw is the Senior Director of Policy at Forth and a member of their leadership team. Forth is a non-profit that advances electric, smart and equitable access to clean transportation. At Forth, Jeanette is responsible for public policy and regulatory affairs at the state and federal levels. She has over three decades of extensive international, national, state and local public policy expertise in technology and association management focusing on issues such as manufacturing investment credits, economic development zones, workforce training, organizational development, and transportation options such as shared mobility, first and last mile transportation options, and light and heavy-duty rail. Jeanette was also tapped to help start TechNet, a national technology trade association.    Jeanette Shaw was elected to the Tigard City Council in 2020 and began her service in 2021. She served on the Oregon Solutions Transportation and Electric Vehicle Collaborative; the State of Oregon Career Technical Education Advisory Commission and was a founding Board member of the STEM STEAM East Multnomah Partnership.   Councilor Shaw holds an Executive MBA from Stanford University and a Bachelor of Science from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She is married to Jason Shaw, a fifth-generation Oregonian.  

Councilor Andrea Zielinski has been serving as a Roseburg City Councilor representing Ward 2 since 2015. Initially appointed to the position, she was then elected in 2016 and again in 2020. In 2023 she served as Council President, which was only the second time a female had held that position in Roseburg's history. She has chaired Roseburg's Historic Resource Review Commission and currently leads the City's Library Commission. In addition to serving on Council and working full-time as an HR Manager for FCC Commercial Furniture, Andrea is actively involved in various community organizations. She serves on the board of directors for the Greater Douglas United Way, Family Development Center, Umpqua Heart, and Children's Public Private Partnerships (CP3). Additionally, she is a committee member for Music on the Half Shell, Douglas County Community Organizations Active in Disasters, and Friends of the Umpqua Valley Police K9 Programs.

Mayor Julie Fitzgerald of Wilsonville is an Oregonian, having also lived in other Western states. She is a graduate of Oregon State University in the School of Agriculture. After graduating, she managed her family's 1,000 head sheep ranch in Curry County. Julie discovered her lifetime career by volunteering to lead a fundraising drive to bring NPR and OPB to the southern Oregon coast between Brookings and Gold Beach. Julie is mostly retired now after a 43-year career in non-profit leadership and philanthropy, to advance education, health care and conservation for leading Oregon charitable groups including community hospitals, the OHSU Foundation, the Nature Conservancy, and the Oregon Zoo Foundation. She's raised three sons, and knows how busy single mothers can be. And with her husband Bob, she has two grown stepdaughters, and two young grandchildren. Mayor Julie has run for office twice, and was elected in 2012 to the Wilsonville City Council, then decided not to run again, but in 2020, she ran for Mayor. She is completing that term this December, and looks forward to being able to spend more time with friends and family, and to pursue interests in the outdoors, as well as reading, and enjoying community theater, art and travel. Frog Pond East and South Master Plan with integrated housing, parks and trails City of Wilsonville SMART Transit The Transit Oriented Development building now under construction, with 121 deed-restricted affordable housing units

Mayor Remy Drabkin of McMinnville, Oregon has dedicated over 12 years to public service. She is the first woman, first Jew and first queer-identified person to hold the Mayorship. Remy served two terms on the McMinnville City Council and two terms on the Planning Commision before being appointed and then elected Mayor. Remy was pivotal in establishing the Affordable Housing Commission, and the city's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) Advisory Committee. As a housing advocate, Remy has brought forward policy resulting in thousands of nights of overnight shelter and projects that have helped people transition out of homelessness. Remy is active in her work and advocacy at the Oregon State Legislature.  Additionally, Remy was appointed by Governor Brown as a Director on the Oregon Wine Board. Remy co-founded Wine Country Pride, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit bringing LGBTQ+ Pride celebrations to rural Oregon in addition to broad regional representation through a commitment to education, economic activity and continuous visible celebrations of the queer community.  Through her eponymous winery which she founded at the age of 25, Remy Wines, Remy hosted the world's first Queer Wine Fest. Now an annual event, Queer Wine Fest showcases wineries with LGBTQ+ leadership, and through this event a queer professional network in the world of wine was established that hadn't previously existed.  Remy's commitment to sustainability was highlighted through an adaptive reuse barn remodel which resulted in the creation of a new carbon-sequestering structural concrete called the Drabkin-Mead Formulation. The invention served as an incubator for others to launch a new McMinnville-based company that focuses on carbon sequestration. Remy actively promotes sequestering carbon into our built environment as key to reversing the effects of climate change.  Remy aspires to help cities implement carbon neutrality into their codes.  www.winecountrypride.com www.queerwinefest.com www.remywines.com www.remyformayor.org Thank you to our podcast sponsor, Allied Video Productions!

Susan Wahlke was first elected in 2014 to the Lincoln City City Council. She later was elected fulfill the previous mayor's term. In 2022, she was elected to a full 4-year term as Mayor. Susan is a 30-year resident of north Lincoln County. Born in Tacoma, Washington and having moved to Oregon in the 5th grade, she considers herself a native Pacific Northwesterner. After graduating from the University of Oregon with a degree in Elementary Education, she moved to Stuttgart, Germany where she substitute-taught in Department of Defense Schools. After three years in Europe, she was able to drive cross-country from New Jersey to Oregon, settling again in Eugene. After working in day care centers for a few years, she moved to Portland and began her 30-year career as a legal secretary. She moved to the Lincoln City area in 1992 with her two daughters. She now has four young grandchildren who she spends as much time with as possible. Soon after moving to Lincoln County, Susan was hired by the City of Lincoln City and worked in the City Attorney's office and also for the Chief of Police. After leaving City employment, she worked for attorneys in Lincoln City until her retirement a few years ago. Married to a musician, they attend as many live music events as possible.

First appointed to the Newport City Council for a two-year term in 2018, Cynthia then won her seat in 2020. She is currently running unopposed for another four-year term. Cynthia reflects on the fact that the City has spent six years investing in her education about the city. She wants to give back as it takes a while to learn to ask the right questions. She never thought she would be in an elected position, but friends urged her on. She says, “So, I went for it, surprising myself most of all.” Cynthia has observed that the conversation changes when more women are in policy-making roles. She has been a strong, primary advocate of childcare, playgrounds, public safety, and housing the unsheltered. She serves on several city committees: Airport, Budget, Public Arts, Commercial Core Revitalization Plan. Additional city/county committees are Solid Waste Advisory, County Consortium, Public Safety, and Lincoln County Housing Advisory. In Cynthia's career as a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist and Advanced Practice Nurse (retired), she has built a life of serving others. She tends to look through the lens of public health in every policy of her city. Among her leisure activities are gardening, painting and writing poetry. She lives with her husband and black Chihuahua, Ser Jorah of Mormont, overlooking the ocean on the Oregon Coast where she marvels at her extraordinary luck to be in such a place. Thank you to our sponsor: Allied Video Productions  

Cec grew up in Salem, but has been a member of the Monmouth-Independence community for over 40 years. She has volunteered with organizations from the cooperative preschool to the Chamber of Commerce, to the Monmouth-Independence Community Foundation, where she has served on the Board since 2001 (with almost 20 years as its treasurer). Currently, Cec works as the Director of Finance & Operations for the Central School District and just completed 10 years of service on the Board of Trustees of Western Oregon University. She has served in both appointed and elected positions in the City of Monmouth, beginning with the Economic Development Commission and four years on Council. In 2018, Cec became the first elected woman Mayor.  Besides raising a fantastic daughter (who lives in Independence!), her proudest accomplishments are those which help to create a more vibrant, connected community; she enjoys working with partners to deepen collaboration, respect differences, honor history and move everyone forward together. Thank you to our sponsor: Allied Video Productions

Oregon City Mayor Denyse McGriff has extensive experience in government. She was the Principal Planner for the city from 1988 to 1996. Now retired, she has has worked for a number of local governments, including the Lane Council of Governments, Columbia County, City of Tillamook, Deschutes County, City of Oregon City and rounded out her career at the Portland Development Commission. Her public service career was multifaceted with an emphasis on historic preservation/conservation, adaptive reuse and land use planning.  Denyse was first appointed to fill a vacant seat on the Commission in 2019, and then won a four-year term in 2020. She was elected to complete Mayor Lyles Smith's term in August of 2022 before winning a full term in the next election. As the first woman of color to be elected mayor in Oregon City, she continues to champion a government and community where everyone has a voice. She has been active in the League of Oregon Cities DEI and the founding of the People of Color Caucus.  She is active in several organizations and efforts in the Portland metro area such as the Oregon City Planning Commission, the Clackamas Heritage Council, McLoughlin Memorial Association, 1000 Friends of Oregon, Bosco-Milligan Foundation/Architectural Heritage Center, National Trust for Historic Preservation among many others.  In 2013, she was awarded the Ruth McBride Powers Memorial Award for Service. The award notes the following: “Denyse's passion for preservation and love for her community is very evident. No matter what hat Denyse has worn over the years, she continuously pushes everybody she meets to try a little harder and aim a little higher”- Vicki Yates, Oregon City Historic Review Board member. In addition, in 2018, she was a member of the Rose Farm Management Committee who received the Ruth McBride Powers Memorial Award for their service. Denyse grew up in a military family and gained an appreciation for the small older communities adjacent to the bases. She arrived in Oregon in 1975 to attend graduate school at the University of Oregon and went on to graduate with degrees in Political Science (MS) and Urban and Regional Planning (MURP).  While at the University of Oregon, Denyse had a work study job with the Bureau of Governmental Research and Service/League of Oregon Cities.  She has now come full circle!

Mayor Engelke was elected by her community to serve the City of North Bend as Mayor in November 2022 and was the first female mayor. Her current term expires in November of 2024. Mayor Engelke had served previously as a North Bend Council Member after being elected as mayor in November 2018.  Jessica Engelke is a longtime North Bend resident invested in making our community a better place. She is a tenured Business Professor at Southwestern Oregon Community College and teaches a variety of business classes.  Jessica is very active in the community, besides her volunteer position as North Bend's Mayor she serves on several local boards and, in 2017, was the Bay Area Chamber of Commerce President.  After having the opportunity to live in Los Angeles, New Jersey, and Amsterdam, she returned home to North Bend in 2010 with her husband, Steven Ryan, and two daughters, Emily and Sophia, and has remained active in the community ever since.  Jessica has over 30 years of hands-on experience in the business community. www.instagram.com/mayorjessicaengelke www.facebook.com/JessicaNBmayor

Beatriz Botello Salgado has been serving as a Newport City Council member for the past 5 years. She was appointed in January of 2019 and ran for election in 2020 to a 4 year-term. Beatriz has lived on the Oregon Coast for 28 years and actively volunteers and participates in various community committees. For the past 20 years, she has been a part of the OSU Extension team as a nutrition educator. Beatriz collaborates on projects between agencies and non-profits that promote diversity and equity by using different communication strategies. She advocates for the advancement of community and the preservation of the environment.  Beatriz enjoys living in Newport with her husband and has three adult daughters who all live in different cities in Oregon. In her free time, she loves talking with family and friends, reading, and learning about other cultures.  www.NewportOregon.gov

Lacey Beaty was elected Beaverton's Mayor in 2020, and took office in January 2021. Prior to serving as Mayor, she served for six years on Beaverton City Council. Before joining the City Council, she was a volunteer for the city's Visioning Advisory Committee, serving as vice-chair. She is engaged in the community including serving on the boards of HomePlate Youth Services and Community Action. She commits to making our community even more diverse, inclusive, and welcoming. Mayor Beaty previously worked in public health, managing school-based health centers in five school districts and two counties. She served five years of active duty in the U.S. Army as a radiology specialist and combat medic and served in the 1st Infantry Division during the Iraq War. Mayor Beaty has shared that her military background is the relentless driving force that keeps her moving forward everyday. Her daughter Aella is the one who inspires and motivates her to keep doing the work every day to improve our community. As Mayor, she brought together public and private partners to establish and facilitate the first COVID-19 mass vaccine POD in Washington County. In addition to the City of Beaverton's direct allocation of American Rescue Plan Act funding ($16.85M), she brought an additional $5.1M to support projects in Beaverton. Mayor Beaty was instrumental in establishing a year-round shelter with a health clinic and behavioral health resources to serve those experiencing homelessness. She is the youngest-ever elected official and the first woman Mayor in Beaverton's history. Mayor Beaty is married, and her husband Ian is a Major with the U.S. Army and a full-time officer in the Oregon Army National Guard. Mayor Beaty has an undergraduate degree in Political Science from Oregon State University, a graduate degree in Management and Organizational Leadership from Warner Pacific University, and a certificate in Public Leadership from the University of San Francisco. www.BeavertonOregon.gov

Throughout her career, Portland City Commissioner Carmen Rubio has dedicated herself to making local government accessible and responsive. Since taking office in 2021, she has worked to ensure that leaders and staff go outside City Hall to authentically listen and engage with everyone in our city. She oversees the Community and Economic Development service area, which includes Portland Housing Bureau, Bureau of Development Services, Bureau of Planning and Sustainability, and Prosper Portland. https://www.portland.gov/rubio https://www.facebook.com/CommRubio https://twitter.com/CommRubio https://www.instagram.com/CommRubio

Taneea was appointed to the council in 2015, was elected in 2016 and 2020. Taneea has been serving her community in multiple capacities over her tenure. Her fellow council members elected her to serve as Council President twice, and she participates on various boards and commissions, including budget, Urban Renewal, and Greenway planning for the City.  Taneea advocates for the City of Central Point and our region with her work on the League of Oregon Cities Board of Directors since 2017 and serving as the League president in 2022. Recently elected as the Chair of the Western Municipal League in 2023, she is involved with regional and national conversations around community engagement, policy, and advocacy for Central Point citizens. While the Western Municipal League represents 12 western states, we face similar issues and share values around the betterment of our community.  Taneea is the current past president of the League of Oregon Cities and was a champion of the founding of the LOC's Women's Caucus. My Dirt Park City of Central Point

Patty Mulvihill joined the League of Oregon Cities organization as assistant general counsel in 2016, then served as general counsel for four years prior to her appointment as executive director. Under her leadership, Mulvihill: ●       Led the development of the LOC's current five-year strategic plan; ●       Represented the LOC on key statewide committees to address the homelessness crisis; ●       Successfully oversaw and managed all LOC's operations, fiscal activities and staffing for five departments: Communications & Marketing, Finance, Intergovernmental Relations, Legal Research, and Member & Administrative Services; ●       Developed and oversaw the LOC's Fiscal Year 2023 budget; ●       Strengthened staff morale and retention by building an internal culture of trust; ●       Strengthened internal financial controls; ●       Coordinated municipal lobbying efforts and built relationships with public and private organizations; and ●       Served as an information resource for citizens, media, legislators and the business community. Prior to joining the LOC, Mulvihill served the city of Bloomington, Ind. for 12 years, first as an assistant city attorney from 2004-14, then as the city's lead attorney from 2014-16.  She earned her bachelor's degree and juris doctorate from Indiana University.  Mulvihill is a member of the Oregon State Bar and the Indiana State Bar and has earned certifications from Cornell University (Diversity and Inclusion), Boise State University (Conflict Management), the Leadership Strategies Institute (Effective Facilitation) and the HR Training Center (HR Generalist). League of Oregon Cities

Carol has served the City of Fossil as mayor for 8 years and now as councilor for one year. Engaged in community volunteer service for over 30 years, EMT-I for the ambulance, Reserve Deputy for the Sheriff's Office, and Victim Advocate for the county. Councilor MacInnes received the 2023 James C. Richards Award from the League of Oregon Cities for her service. Councilor Carol MacInnes City of Fossil

Beach Pace has spent her career building strong, efficient teams and collaboratively overcoming challenges to serve the community she loves. First elected to Hillsboro City Council in 2018, Beach is currently serving her second term as City Councilor. As Councilor, she has championed diversity, equity & inclusion (DEI), affordable housing, transportation solutions, COVID-19 response, support of small businesses, expansion of job opportunities, and market rate housing. She also serves on the Budget Committee, the Transportation Committee, the 2035 Committee, the Westside Modal Improvements Study Steering Committee, and the Council Creek Regional Trail Committee. In addition, Beach served as a board member of the League of Oregon Cities for three years and is a founding board alumna of the Westside Queer Resource Center.  Beach found her calling in the social change (nonprofit) sector and currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Columbia Northwest. Her previous experience includes Vice President of Road Trip Nation and service as Vice President and Executive Director of City Year San Jose/Silicon Valley. Before transitioning to nonprofit work, Beach led sales and marketing teams in the public sector.  Beach learned to lead at the United States Military Academy at West Point, where she earned her Bachelor of Science and began her seven-year career with the U.S. Army. There, she served in Explosive Ordnance Disposal as Executive Officer and Commander within the Ordnance branch. Beach also earned her Master of Public Administration from Northern Michigan University.  Beach always finds time for her wife of more than twenty years, Jincy, their two teenage children, and her mother-in-law. Beach boasts her spaghetti-making skills, loves to walk trails in Hillsboro, and she is never too busy to find the fun and positive in everything she does. https://electbeachpace.com City of Hillsboro

Oregon City Mayor Denyse McGriff has extensive experience in government. She was the Principal Planner for the city from 1988 to 1996. Now retired, she has has worked for a number of local governments, including the Lane Council of Governments, Columbia County, City of Tillamook, Deschutes County, City of Oregon City and rounded out her career at the Portland Development Commission. Her public service career was multifaceted with an emphasis on historic preservation/conservation, adaptive reuse and land use planning.  Denyse was first appointed to fill a vacant seat on the Commission in 2019, and then won a four-year term in 2020. She was elected to complete Mayor Lyles Smith's term in August of 2022 before winning a full term in the next election. As the first woman of color to be elected mayor in Oregon City, she continues to champion a government and community where everyone has a voice. She has been active in the League of Oregon Cities DEI and the founding of the People of Color Caucus.  She is active in several organizations and efforts in the Portland metro area such as the Oregon City Planning Commission, the Clackamas Heritage Council, McLoughlin Memorial Association, 1000 Friends of Oregon, Bosco-Milligan Foundation/Architectural Heritage Center, National Trust for Historic Preservation among many others.  In 2013, she was awarded the Ruth McBride Powers Memorial Award for Service. The award notes the following: “Denyse's passion for preservation and love for her community is very evident. No matter what hat Denyse has worn over the years, she continuously pushes everybody she meets to try a little harder and aim a little higher”- Vicki Yates, Oregon City Historic Review Board member. In addition, in 2018, she was a member of the Rose Farm Management Committee who received the Ruth McBride Powers Memorial Award for their service. Denyse grew up in a military family and gained an appreciation for the small older communities adjacent to the bases. She arrived in Oregon in 1975 to attend graduate school at the University of Oregon and went on to graduate with degrees in Political Science (MS) and Urban and Regional Planning (MURP).  While at the University of Oregon, Denyse had a work study job with the Bureau of Governmental Research and Service/League of Oregon Cities.  She has now come full circle!

As an adult living in Seattle, Shoreline and Mukilteo, WA, Tita considered herself apolitical. She researched candidates and issues and voted but she had no thoughts of being involved in local government. But, when she moved to Seaside in 2002, she started attending city council meetings, as well as commission, committee and board meetings because she thought that's what a responsible citizen should do. Within a couple of years she was elected to the board of the downtown development association and became the Chamber President. In 2004 she led a group which sued city hall for the right of citizens to vote on whether to allow ODOT to make 101 through Seaside into a five lane highway. Not many people can say they sued city hall and won! Not only did the citizens get to vote, 57% of those voting turned down ODOT's proposal which would have destroyed 17 businesses and more than 70 homes. You could say that most of the city council members were not her fans. When she ran for office in 2006, the other guy got ONE more vote than she; but, in 2010 she was both appointed and elected to the council where she has served the city of Seaside for the last 14 years. During her years in Seaside, Tita has also co-owned a fabric store, worked as the Business & Community Liaison at Tongue Point Job Corps Center as well as the executive director of the Seaside Downtown Development Association. She estimates she has served on twenty or so boards, councils and commissions during the past 22 years. And this is the person who just had her sights on being a Library Board member when she moved to Seaside.

Mayor Engelke was elected by her community to serve the City of North Bend as Mayor in November 2022 and was the first female mayor. Her current term expires in November of 2024. Mayor Engelke had served previously as a North Bend Council Member after being elected as mayor in November 2018.  Jessica Engelke is a longtime North Bend resident invested in making our community a better place. She is a tenured Business Professor at Southwestern Oregon Community College and teaches a variety of business classes.  Jessica is very active in the community, besides her volunteer position as North Bend's Mayor she serves on several local boards and, in 2017, was the Bay Area Chamber of Commerce President.  After having the opportunity to live in Los Angeles, New Jersey, and Amsterdam, she returned home to North Bend in 2010 with her husband, Steven Ryan, and two daughters, Emily and Sophia, and has remained active in the community ever since.  Jessica has over 30 years of hands-on experience in the business community. www.instagram.com/mayorjessicaengelke www.facebook.com/JessicaNBmayor

Kori Rodley is a lifelong Oregonian who was elected to the Springfield City Council in 2019 and she is the first out lesbian to serve on the council. Currently, she serves as chair of the Springfield Economic Development Agency (SEDA), chair of the Lane County Human Services Commission, and as a voting member of the League of Oregon Cities General Government Policy Committee. Her past service has included Springfield Utility Board budget committee and the 4J school district Equity Committee. In her day job she works with Lane County Developmental Disabilities Services. Kori and her spouse, Teri, are the proud parents of five adult children and the extra-proud grandmas to 7-year-old Calvin and 3 year-old Penny.  In her “spare time” she loves digging in to renovate their “empty-nester” 1949 home and garden in the heart of Springfield. Kori is passionate about improving the housing and livability in Springfield, as well as creating an environment that supports diverse small businesses and building a community that is safe, welcoming, and inclusive for all. https://kori-rodley.com/

Beatriz Botello Salgado has been serving as a Newport City Council member for the past 5 years. She was appointed in January of 2019 and ran for election in 2020 to a 4 year-term. Beatriz has lived on the Oregon Coast for 28 years and actively volunteers and participates in various community committees. For the past 20 years, she has been a part of the OSU Extension team as a nutrition educator. Beatriz collaborates on projects between agencies and non-profits that promote diversity and equity by using different communication strategies. She advocates for the advancement of community and the preservation of the environment.  Beatriz enjoys living in Newport with her husband and has three adult daughters who all live in different cities in Oregon. In her free time, she loves talking with family and friends, reading, and learning about other cultures.  www.NewportOregon.gov  

Amanda Fritz was first elected to Portland's City Council in 2008. Prior to being elected, Commissioner Fritz was a neighborhood activist and seven-year member of the Portland Planning Commission.  Upon moving to Portland from New York, Fritz began working at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) as an inpatient nurse in the hospital's psychiatry department.  She was also the first candidate to win public financing under Portland's Clean Elections system in 2006, though she lost to incumbent Dan Saltzman in the first round of that year's election.  Fritz won re-election in 2016. During the city's fiscal year of 2017-2018, she cast the deciding vote on the Council to adopt the campaign financing reform program "Open and Accountable Elections," which would award public matching funds to candidates who agreed to not take large contributions, or any contributions from corporations and PACs. The system was launched in the 2020 election cycle.  On April 5, 2019, Fritz announced that she would not seek re-election to Portland City Council, saying that she hoped a larger field of candidates would run for her seat using the Open and Accountable Elections system. She retired in January 2021.

Lacey Beaty was elected Beaverton's Mayor in 2020, and took office in January 2021. Prior to serving as Mayor, she served for six years on Beaverton City Council. Before joining the City Council, she was a volunteer for the city's Visioning Advisory Committee, serving as vice-chair. She is engaged in the community including serving on the boards of HomePlate Youth Services and Community Action. She commits to making our community even more diverse, inclusive, and welcoming. Mayor Beaty previously worked in public health, managing school-based health centers in five school districts and two counties. She served five years of active duty in the U.S. Army as a radiology specialist and combat medic and served in the 1st Infantry Division during the Iraq War. Mayor Beaty has shared that her military background is the relentless driving force that keeps her moving forward everyday. Her daughter Aella is the one who inspires and motivates her to keep doing the work every day to improve our community. As Mayor, she brought together public and private partners to establish and facilitate the first COVID-19 mass vaccine POD in Washington County. In addition to the City of Beaverton's direct allocation of American Rescue Plan Act funding ($16.85M), she brought an additional $5.1M to support projects in Beaverton. Mayor Beaty was instrumental in establishing a year-round shelter with a health clinic and behavioral health resources to serve those experiencing homelessness. She is the youngest-ever elected official and the first woman Mayor in Beaverton's history. Mayor Beaty is married, and her husband Ian is a Major with the U.S. Army and a full-time officer in the Oregon Army National Guard. Mayor Beaty has an undergraduate degree in Political Science from Oregon State University, a graduate degree in Management and Organizational Leadership from Warner Pacific University, and a certificate in Public Leadership from the University of San Francisco. www.BeavertonOregon.gov

Throughout her career, Portland City Commissioner Carmen Rubio has dedicated herself to making local government accessible and responsive. Since taking office in 2021, she has worked to ensure that leaders and staff go outside City Hall to authentically listen and engage with everyone in our city. She oversees the Community and Economic Development service area, which includes Portland Housing Bureau, Bureau of Development Services, Bureau of Planning and Sustainability, and Prosper Portland. https://www.portland.gov/rubio https://www.facebook.com/CommRubio https://twitter.com/CommRubio https://www.instagram.com/CommRubio

Taneea was appointed to the council in 2015, was elected in 2016 and 2020. Taneea has been serving her community in multiple capacities over her tenure. Her fellow council members elected her to serve as Council President twice, and she participates on various boards and commissions, including budget, Urban Renewal, and Greenway planning for the City.  Taneea advocates for the City of Central Point and our region with her work on the League of Oregon Cities Board of Directors since 2017 and serving as the League president in 2022. Recently elected as the Chair of the Western Municipal League in 2023, she is involved with regional and national conversations around community engagement, policy, and advocacy for Central Point citizens. While the Western Municipal League represents 12 western states, we face similar issues and share values around the betterment of our community.  Taneea is the current past president of the League of Oregon Cities and was a champion of the founding of the LOC's Women's Caucus. My Dirt Park City of Central Point

Gina is the first Black American openly Queer woman to be elected to the Ashland Council. She is a Los Angeles native and a longtime advocate for justice. Gina was introduced to Ashland in 2006 by her wife and fell in love with the city. She quickly immersed herself into the tapestry of Ashland. She has worked as the Senior Sales Manager with the Neuman Hotel Group for fourteen years. Her passion for community gave her the idea to create the Southern Oregon Pride Festival. After that, Gina became active on many nonprofit boards such as The Children Advocacy Center, Addiction Recovery Center, Ashland Rotary and the Martin Luther King committee. She loves and enjoys time with family, friends and travel and after 17 years, now calls Ashland home. City of Ashland Southern Oregon Pride

Councilor McDonald was elected to the Pendleton City Council in 2014 and was re-elected in 2022 for a third term. Councilor McDonald is running for the position of Mayor of Pendleton in the May 2024 election. She serves as Council President and sits on the Pendleton Airport Commission, Development Commission, Library Board, and Budget Committee. Councilor McDonald is an LOC Board Director and Women's Caucus Board Member. Her commitments also include a full-time job with the InterMountain Education Service District as the Oregon Trail REN Coordinator, volunteering in the community, being a wife and mother. She holds a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Portland, a Masters in Teaching from Eastern Oregon University, and most recently a Principal License from Lewis & Clark College.

Patty Mulvihill joined the League of Oregon Cities organization as assistant general counsel in 2016, then served as general counsel for four years prior to her appointment as executive director. Under her leadership, Mulvihill: ●       Led the development of the LOC's current five-year strategic plan; ●       Represented the LOC on key statewide committees to address the homelessness crisis; ●       Successfully oversaw and managed all LOC's operations, fiscal activities and staffing for five departments: Communications & Marketing, Finance, Intergovernmental Relations, Legal Research, and Member & Administrative Services; ●       Developed and oversaw the LOC's Fiscal Year 2023 budget; ●       Strengthened staff morale and retention by building an internal culture of trust; ●       Strengthened internal financial controls; ●       Coordinated municipal lobbying efforts and built relationships with public and private organizations; and ●       Served as an information resource for citizens, media, legislators and the business community. Prior to joining the LOC, Mulvihill served the city of Bloomington, Ind. for 12 years, first as an assistant city attorney from 2004-14, then as the city's lead attorney from 2014-16.  She earned her bachelor's degree and juris doctorate from Indiana University.  Mulvihill is a member of the Oregon State Bar and the Indiana State Bar and has earned certifications from Cornell University (Diversity and Inclusion), Boise State University (Conflict Management), the Leadership Strategies Institute (Effective Facilitation) and the HR Training Center (HR Generalist). League of Oregon Cities

Carol has served the City of Fossil as mayor for 8 years and now as councilor for one year. Engaged in community volunteer service for over 30 years, EMT-I for the ambulance, Reserve Deputy for the Sheriff's Office, and Victim Advocate for the county. Councilor MacInnes received the 2023 James C. Richards Award from the League of Oregon Cities for her service. Councilor Carol MacInnes City of Fossil

Beach Pace has spent her career building strong, efficient teams and collaboratively overcoming challenges to serve the community she loves. First elected to Hillsboro City Council in 2018, Beach is currently serving her second term as City Councilor. As Councilor, she has championed diversity, equity & inclusion (DEI), affordable housing, transportation solutions, COVID-19 response, support of small businesses, expansion of job opportunities, and market rate housing. She also serves on the Budget Committee, the Transportation Committee, the 2035 Committee, the Westside Modal Improvements Study Steering Committee, and the Council Creek Regional Trail Committee. In addition, Beach served as a board member of the League of Oregon Cities for three years and is a founding board alumna of the Westside Queer Resource Center.  Beach found her calling in the social change (nonprofit) sector and currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Columbia Northwest. Her previous experience includes Vice President of Road Trip Nation and service as Vice President and Executive Director of City Year San Jose/Silicon Valley. Before transitioning to nonprofit work, Beach led sales and marketing teams in the public sector.  Beach learned to lead at the United States Military Academy at West Point, where she earned her Bachelor of Science and began her seven-year career with the U.S. Army. There, she served in Explosive Ordnance Disposal as Executive Officer and Commander within the Ordnance branch. Beach also earned her Master of Public Administration from Northern Michigan University.  Beach always finds time for her wife of more than twenty years, Jincy, their two teenage children, and her mother-in-law. Beach boasts her spaghetti-making skills, loves to walk trails in Hillsboro, and she is never too busy to find the fun and positive in everything she does. https://electbeachpace.com City of Hillsboro

Dr. Ramycia McGhee is a keynote speaker, councilwoman, and educator. She is a Chicago native, a tenured professor of English & Literature at Linn-Benton Community College, and the first African American woman to serve on the Albany City Council. Since coming to Linn Benton Community College in 2017, she has inaugurated the Black History Month Essay Contest, coordinates Black History Month programming, serves as the departmental Writing 121 testing coordinator, and more at LBCC.  In addition, Dr. McGhee serves on the Oregon Humanities Board of Directors. She is a member of Oregon State University's Advisory Board for the Adult and Higher Education master's and doctoral programs and is a current board member for the League of Oregon Cities Women's Caucus. She is a contributing author to two books one is entitled Teaching Beautiful Brilliant Black Girls and the other Don't Forget About the Adjuncts!  Dr. McGhee is the Founder of the Valencia Cooper Second Chance Scholarship Opportunity Award which solely benefits Black students who are or want to attend a community college in the state of Oregon. She is also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc.  Dr. McGhee is a 2019 recipient of the Oregon State University's Community Member Black Excellence Award. Dr. McGhee is also a 2020 nominee of the Analee Fuentes Unity Award. This award is presented annually to one employee in recognition of their commitment to diversity and social justice at LBCC. In 2021, Dr. McGhee was awarded a Faculty Fellowship from LBCC in which she peer-mentored and coached other faculty in creating Black Culturally Center Assignments across disciplines.  Dr. McGhee is a Barbie collector and enjoys traveling, reading, writing, dancing, and spending time with friends, family, and her Shi-Tzu Cupcake. DrRamycia.org AlbanyOregon.gov

Throughout Oregon, cities are dealing with budget deficits. And for some, the new year has meant cuts to services. Libraries are facing cuts in multiple cities, including Salem. And officials elsewhere are scrambling to cobble together funds to keep some services afloat. Melanie Kebler is the mayor of Bend, and Chris Hoy is the mayor of Salem. They join us with details on what their cities are facing and what the new year means for services.  

Last week, Ashland and Newport’s Housing Production Strategy Plans were approved by the state. These plans come from a 2019 House bill requiring Oregon cities with populations over 10,000 to come up with eight-year plans to address housing. Linda Reid is the housing program specialist for the city of Ashland. Jan Kaplan is the mayor of Newport. They both join us to share what housing looks like right now in their cities and their plans for the future.

Cities in Oregon are finalizing their budgets. They’re juggling shrinking funding streams and increasing costs – especially from inflation. Twylla Miller is the chief financial officer for the city of Eugene. Robby Hammond is the city manager for Hillsboro. They join us with more on how cities are managing priorities and navigating tough financial decisions.

Oregon's Land Conservation and Development Commission adopted a new set of rules this summer that aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the state's eight largest metro areas. The Climate-Friendly and Equitable Communities rules affect several aspects of land use, transportation and development. Among other things, they require cities to remove certain parking mandates, provide more electric vehicle infrastructure, and designate mixed-use “climate-friendly areas” where residents can meet their daily needs without using a car.Oregon's Department of Land Conservation and Development spent nearly two years crafting the rules with city representatives. However, several cities aren't pleased with the results — they say the rules are too prescriptive and will be too costly to implement. A group of cities is even planning a lawsuit to get the state to pause the rules and renegotiate.Joining us to talk about the dispute is Kevin Young, a senior urban planner with the department. We'll also hear from Cornelius Mayor Jef Dalin and League of Oregon Cities lobbyist Ariel Nelson about how the rules are affecting some Oregon cities.

A new map from the Oregon Department of Forestry estimates about 80,000 homes and buildings are in areas of high or extreme risk for wildfires. Some local municipalities have found that wildfire risk assessments they've conducted before contradict the state's analysis. Tim Holschbach is the deputy chief of policy and planning with the Oregon Department of Forestry. Chris Chambers is the Wildlife Division Chief for Ashland Fire & Rescue. They both join us to discuss the state's new map and how it compares to assessments made in the past.

Lacey Beaty is the mayor of Beaverton, one of the largest cities in Oregon. In this episode, we talk about her experience as a combat medic in the U.S. Army during the Iraq War and the challenges that veterans face when they return home. We also touch on U.S. foreign policy, the value of compulsory national service, and the sustainability challenges of an all-volunteer military. We also talk about what can be done about affordable housing--including an idea she has modeled after an existing home ownership program for veterans. Finally, we touch on the convening power of mayors and the role of cities in solving complex project. We end with an explanation of what happened in the Twitter controversy that ended with the Executive Director of the League of Oregon Cities losing his job.

In February, trees in cities and towns across the state crashed down after a devastating ice storm. Months later, several cities in Oregon are still dealing with tree damage from the storm. We hear from Megan Big John, parks manager for Lake Oswego Parks and Recreation, and Mark Becktel, Salem's public works operations manager, on how tree damage can create new issues, especially as fire season begins in Oregon.