FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PORTLAND, Ore. – The City Auditor announced today that Charles Koutras is the City’s new Chief Hearings Officer.
The Chief Hearings Officer oversees the Hearings Office, which hears appeals from Portlanders to a variety of City decisions such as vehicle towing and land use permits. The Office exercises City Council’s quasi-judicial authority. It returned to the Auditor’s Office in July 2024 with the Auditor’s consent. The move was made possible by Council’s adoption of the Auditor’s Office’s FY 2024-25 Requested Budget and supports its mission of open and accountable government.
Koutras comes to the City with over two decades of distinguished legal and public service experience across federal, military, and international arenas. Most recently, Koutras served as a Supervisory Immigration Judge with the U.S. Department of Justice, where he led teams of immigration judges and staff in high-volume courts in Portland, Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, and San Antonio. His leadership was instrumental in reducing case backlogs, implementing virtual hearings, and enhancing interpreter access for individuals who speak languages other than English.
Over the course of his career, Koutras has held key legal roles in the U.S. Navy and Army, including serving as Force Judge Advocate (General Counsel) for the U.S. Navy Reserve Forces Command, where he oversaw legal services for a 57,000-member organization. He also designed and implemented the U.S. Army South’s first international legal services program, supporting U.S. embassies across Central and South America and the Caribbean.
Koutras holds a J.D. and M.A. in International Relations from St. Mary’s University and a B.A. in History and Political Science from Southwestern University. He is licensed to practice law in Oregon and Texas. Koutras has also completed advanced leadership training at Harvard Law School and the Brookings Institution.
In addition to his legal accomplishments, Koutras has advised agency leadership on policy strategy and championed inclusive hiring practices across institutions he has led. He is fluent in Italian, French, and Greek, and conversational in Spanish.
“Koutras brings a wealth of expertise and a steadfast commitment to fairness, accessibility, and equity in administrative justice to the City,” said Auditor Simone Rede. “My office is thrilled to have him in this role.”
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