About the Auditor
Simone Rede is the elected Auditor of Portland, Oregon. She won election in May 2022 with overwhelming support from voters and took office in January 2023.
Prior to her election, Auditor Rede was a principal management auditor at Metro regional government and a staff auditor at the Oregon Secretary of State Audits Division. Before that, she worked in Portland area alternative schools to improve access to higher education. Auditor Rede serves on the United States Government Accountability Office Domestic Working Group, which addresses accountability issues at all levels of government.
The Auditor graduated from Portland Public Schools’ Grant High School. She earned a bachelor’s degree in urban studies from Vassar College and a master’s degree in public policy from Carnegie Mellon University and is a Certified Internal Auditor and a Certified Government Auditing Professional.
She and her wife are proud parents to a new Portlander and graduate of Portland Public Schools.
Meet the Management Team
Reed Brodersen has served as Chief Deputy City Auditor since January 2023, assisting the Auditor in setting and carrying out the strategic direction of the Office. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and his Master's in Urban and Regional Planning from Portland State University. Prior to his time with the City, he worked for the regional government Metro on their Diversity, Equity and Inclusion team specializing in equity-informed program development and evaluation and enterprise project management. Prior to Metro, he researched sustainability practices in the Pacific Northwest and his hometown of Lincoln, Nebraska.
Diana Banning manages the Archives and Records Management Division and has served as the City Archivist since 1997. As the City's Archivist, she provides city-wide leadership on archives and records management issues, and oversees the Portland Archives and Records Center. Prior to her time with the City, she was the County Archivist for King County, Washington. She has a Master of Library Science degree from the University of Washington and is certified through the Academy of Certified Archivists.
Jennifer Croft has served as City Ombudsman since December 2022. Before taking up the position, she spent over 20 years working in international development and diplomacy, holding positions with the State Department, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Her work focused on providing analysis, policy advice and technical assistance to advance human rights, inclusive democratic governance and conflict prevention, primarily in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Jennifer grew up in Eugene and received her undergraduate degree from Columbia University and her master’s degree from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.
KC Jones is the Director of the Audit Services Division. He grew up in Maryland and studied Economics at Washington College and holds a Masters in Policy Management from Georgetown University. Before relocating to Portland, KC spent nearly ten years as an evaluator, auditor, and analyst for the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Inspector General in Washington, DC. Prior his time with Audit Services, he worked for the City Auditor’s Independent Police Review and as a Performance Auditor in the Oregon Secretary of State’s Audits Division.
Tenzin Gonta was appointed Deputy Director of Audit Services in 2022. She joined the Audit Services team in 2010 after working at the Oregon Secretary of State's Audits Division where she attained the rank of Principal Auditor. Tenzin served as the Interim Director for Audit Services during the summer of 2021. She has taken on leadership roles as a peer reviewer with the Association of Local Government Auditors and Board of Governors for the Portland chapter of the Institute of Internal Auditors. Prior to her work in government auditing, Tenzin held various positions within the nonprofit sector at organizations of local and national scope. During graduate school, her master’s project focused on public-nonprofit partnerships and she worked as a research assistant for projects dedicated to developing nonprofit leaders of color in Oregon. Outside of work, Tenzin enjoys volunteering in the community and exploring the outdoors with her energetic preschooler.
Lisa Howley is General Counsel to the Office of the Auditor. In this role, Lisa provides independent legal and policy advice to multiple divisions in the Auditor's Office. Prior to joining the Auditor's Office, Lisa spent nearly two decades in private practice and worked at two multinational law firms where she focused on complex civil litigation. Lisa received her undergraduate degree from Smith College and her Juris Doctor from Columbia Law School. Lisa is also a certified therapeutic yoga instructor and has served on the board of directors of a local nonprofit.
Robyn White is the Business Operations Manager in the City Auditor’s Office. Originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico, she moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma before relocating to Portland in 2017. With over ten years of experience in the public sector, Robyn has held various roles, including working for two Tulsa Mayors in the Mayor’s Office of Performance and Innovation, managing Portland Fire & Rescue’s data analytics team, and successfully establishing and overseeing the initial three years of Portland Street Response. Robyn's educational background includes a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of New Mexico, a Master’s degree in Marriage & Family Therapy from Oral Roberts University, an MBA from the University of Tulsa, and a Postgraduate diploma in Organizational Leadership from the University of Oxford.
Joni Whitworth leads our Communication and Outreach team. They play a crucial role in bridging the gap between the Auditor's Office and Portland's diverse communities, with a focus on engaging with historically underserved populations. Joni's deep understanding of Portland's unique cultural landscape allows them to tailor outreach strategies that speak to our city's residents. Joni hails from the Boise neighborhood of Portland and has a rich background in arts and culture, having served as the inaugural Artist in Residence at Portland Parks and Recreation as well as Poet in Residence for Oregon State University's Trillium Project. In 2020, they were named a Queer Hero by the Gay & Lesbian Archives of the Pacific Northwest. They are passionate about fostering a transparent, accountable, and responsive government for all Portlanders.
Deborah Scroggin leads our Elections team as the Elections and Special Programs Manager. With a background in elections and a decade of service in the office, she brings valuable expertise. Originally from Portland, Scroggin oversees the expansion of the elections office as we navigate changes such as ranked-choice voting and district-based council member elections. She is committed to transparency and public confidence in the electoral process, aiming to make Portland a model for these reforms. She holds a bachelor's degree in political science and a master's degree in public administration.
Keelan McClymont has served as Council Clerk since 2020. She oversees the Council Clerk's Office, which administers City Council business, serves as the central repository for City contracts and Portland Policy Documents, and maintains City Charter and Code. The Council Clerk team ensures the actions taken by City Council are available to the public in a timely, accessible, and transparent manner. The team publishes the City Council meeting agenda each week and provides information to Portlanders about how they may testify on agenda items, sign up for public comment, and submit written testimony. In her role, she maintains and ensures consistent application of City Charter, City Code, and applicable laws concerning significant aspects of City Council legislative and quasi-judicial functions. She has been working in the public sector for over 12 years. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English and biology and a master’s degree in international affairs.
Public Service Fellows
Corey White joined the Auditor's Office in 2021 as the inaugural Fellow for the Pathway to Public Service Program. He grew up in Granger, Texas. Corey attended Redlands Community College and completed coursework toward a Bachelor's degree at Tuskegee University. Prior to relocating to Portland, he worked as a special education instructor and as an insurance producer in Oklahoma. Along with his three beautiful daughters, Corey has been a foster and adoptive parent to seven kids since 2008. In his spare time, Corey enjoys fishing, cooking, and exploring Portland's food carts. Corey is excited to join the Auditor’s Office and gain experience in government accountability and transparency work. Corey is particularly interested in work that directly serves the community. By moving across the country to serve as the inaugural Fellow, Corey aims to be an example to his kids and former students, showing them that there's a way to better your life and the people in your community.
Emily Arnold joins us from the Center for Public Service at Portland State University, bringing a wealth of knowledge and a strong commitment to community engagement and service. Emily is from Reno, Nevada. She completed her Bachelor of Art in music at Boise State University. After her undergraduate studies, she relocated to Portland to pursue her Master of Public Administration degree at Portland State University. During her time there, Emily worked as a local government graduate research assistant at the Center for Public Service. Her role involved collaborating on various consulting projects with government agencies in Oregon and Washington. Emily is helping the Auditor's Office design engagement strategies that ensure historically underserved Portlanders have a voice in our accountability and transparency initiatives.
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