LWV of Portland’s October Community Education program, “Get to Know Your New City Government,” was held on Wednesday, October 9, 2024, from 7 to 8:30 pm via Zoom. Watch the recording of the conversation with four excellent local panelists, or listen to the podcast.
This fall, Portland’s election system isn’t the only thing changing. Our form of city government is changing, too.
In 2022, Portlanders voted for change, and on January 1, 2025, we are getting it. The Mayor will be running the City government, and hiring a City Administrator to get the job done. The Mayor won’t be on the Council any more – Council will pick its own leaders. The new City Council will still be adopting laws and approving the budget, and they will need to collaborate to get Council business passed.
What should voters be looking for in their candidates when they cast their ballots for City Council or Mayor? When this new set of leaders take office in January, what should Portlanders expect from them in their role? And how can Portlanders stay engaged with what Council and City bureaus are doing in this new form of government? This panel answers these questions – as well as questions brought by our live audience.
Our Speakers
This webinar brings diverse perspectives on these big changes coming to our City government. They will answer audience questions, to help voters understand what the roles they are electing will be doing once in office.
Our speakers bring perspectives both from within City government and from the community:
- Michael Jordan, Interim City Administrator for the City of Portland
- As Portland’s City Administrator, Michael Jordan oversees day-to-day operations across two dozen bureaus and offices. He is responsible for leading Portland’s voter-approved transition to a new form of government and working with the mayor to develop a budget for the city. From 2022 to 2024, Jordan served as Portland’s Chief Administrative Officer – the executive who oversees citywide initiatives and central services such as human resources, technology, and finances in the City’s outgoing form of government. Prior to that, he served as the City’s Environmental Services Director for seven years.
- Jordan attended the graduate program for public administration at Lewis and Clark College, holds a Bachelor of Science from Portland State University, and attended the University of Oregon on a baseball scholarship from 1974 to 1978. In 2009 he completed a Certificate of Sustainability Leadership at the University of Oregon. He is a lifelong Oregonian who lives with his wife, CJ, in Canby, where he grew up. They have four children and six grandchildren.
- Destiny Magaña-Pablo, member of Portland’s Government Transition Advisory Committee
- Destiny Magaña-Pablo was born in Portland and proudly serves on the Government Transition Advisory Committee, where she focuses on enhancing community engagement and city accountability. As a resident of East Portland in District 1, she is honored to provide educational presentations on ranked choice voting and charter reform to culturally specific and community-based organizations.
- In her professional career, Destiny is dedicated to fostering student success and improving access to health and wellness resources within Latino, Black, Indigenous, Asian, Slavic, immigrant, and refugee communities. She is committed to advancing racial justice by dismantling systemic barriers, starting with education from early childhood through higher education.
- Destiny is grateful to the visionary local leaders, grassroots organizers, and Portland voters who made this charter reform a reality. She is excited to witness how her beloved city transforms through expanded civic engagement, increased city investments, and a stronger community voice within the City of Portland’s government.
- Jenny Lee, Deputy Director of the Coalition of Communities of Color
- At the Coalition of Communities of Color, Jenny Lee supports organizational and coalition development and advocacy. She previously served as CCC’s Advocacy Director and the Advocacy Director at APANO. Previous roles include Housing Policy Director at Neighborhood Partnerships and the Public Policy Director for the Hawaii Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice. In those positions, Jenny employed a range of advocacy strategies, including electoral advocacy, lobbying, coalition building, strategic communications, and litigation. Jenny grew up in Washington County, and her earlier background includes work in disability and family law and mediation. Jenny holds a JD from Harvard Law School and a BA from the University of Oregon.
- Dr. Melody Valdini, Political Science Professor at Portland State University
- Melody Ellis Valdini (Ph.D. 2006, University of California, San Diego) is a professor of political science at Portland State University as well as the co-editor of the Journal of Women, Politics & Policy. Her research engages the consequences of institutional design, with a focus on electoral systems, political parties, women’s leadership, and the regions of Latin America, Europe, and Russia.
The panel is moderated by Wynne Furth from the League of Women Voters of Portland. Furth heads up the League’s Know Your New Government team of volunteers helping educate the community about the changing City government.
Schedule of Replays on Cable TV
Our Programs Are For the Community
This program is one of our community education programs held free of charge for our members and the public. All of our programs are recorded for rebroadcast by MetroEast Community Media and available by video and podcast from our website.
Funding for production of this program is provided by the League of Women Voters of Portland Education Fund and the Carol and Velma Saling Foundation. Donate to support programming like this webinar.
Tune in to Our Full Election 2024 Series
Join us through the 2024 election season to learn and get engaged. Learn about our full series for this historic Election 2024.
