Portland, Ore.— Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability (BPS) Director Donnie Oliveira today announced the selection of two local leaders to join the bureau. Vivian Satterfield will begin her new role of Chief Sustainability Officer beginning Feb. 1, and Eben Polk will serve as the new Solid Waste Manager beginning Jan. 18.
“BPS has made incredible strides in climate justice, sustainability and equity over the last year,” said Director Oliveira. “I am confident that Vivian and Eben are the right people to help continue our legacy of leadership and collaboration.”
Chief Sustainability Officer Vivian Satterfield
Satterfield currently serves as the Director of Strategic Partnerships for Verde, a Portland-based non-profit whose mission is to build environmental wealth by investing in climate resilience through social enterprise, outreach, and advocacy, especially for frontline communities. A biracial, first-generation Chinese American, Satterfield was born and raised in the city of Chicago where she lived until relocating to Portland in 2008. For more than a decade, Satterfield has worked in Portland’s frontline communities at the intersections of environmental, racial, and economic justice delivering a track record of success at the municipal, regional, and statewide level in securing policy wins and programmatic investments.
“I have long admired BPS’s and Director Oliveira’s work to elevate the voices of Portland’s most vulnerable communities and to give them the resources they need to lead the just transition our world demands,” said Satterfield. “The opportunity to serve the people of Portland and step into leadership for climate justice and sustainability is an honor of a lifetime and I’m ready for the challenge.”
Solid Waste Manager Eben Polk
Polk comes to BPS with more than 20 years of experience in many facets of sustainability. Prior to his selection as Solid Waste Manager, Polk served as the Sustainability and Solid Waste Manager at Clackamas County, where he spent 14 years advancing sustainability and equity efforts across multiple roles. His experience has incorporated a diversity of disciplines including materials management, garbage and recycling collection, outreach and education, clean energy and energy efficiency, sustainable operations and more.
“I am thrilled to join the team at BPS and to work with the many community partners who are essential to providing excellent collection service,” said Polk. “I’m also grateful for the opportunity to continue our journey to more sustainable and less wasteful approaches to using and consuming materials. I’m passionate about climate justice and building a more resilient and inclusive community through our services and BPS is the perfect place to keep that progress going.”
Past and Present: Climate Successes at BPS
Satterfield and Polk join teams that have accomplished noteworthy feats for the city of Portland in the world of climate and sustainability.
In August, Portland City Council unanimously approved the Climate Emergency Workplan — a comprehensive list of 43 actions and strategies that BPS and 10 other City bureaus are prioritizing for the next three years to eliminate carbon emissions by 2050. Last month, the Climate team received unanimous Council approval for the Renewable Fuel Standard Code Update — making Portland the first city in the nation to phase out petroleum diesel and replace it with biodiesel at the pump. The Garbage, Recycling, and Compost teams have completed installation of hundreds of new trash cans with the help of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding. The cans feature art designed by local artists and chosen in partnership with local community members.
Satterfield and Polk will be instrumental in leading their respective teams through more policy and program development to reduce carbon emissions, enhance Portland’s world class garbage and recycling service and improve resiliency for Portlanders.
About the City of Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability
The Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability (BPS) develops creative and practical solutions to enhance Portland’s livability, preserve distinctive places and plan for a resilient future. BPS collaborates with community partners to provide comprehensive land use, neighborhood, district, economic, historic and environmental planning, and urban design; research, policy and technical services to advance green building, energy efficiency and the use of solar and renewable energy, waste prevention, composting and recycling, and a sustainable food system; and policy and actions to address climate change.