2025-470

TO THE COUNCIL: 

As Mayor, I request Council confirmation of the following appointment to the Portland Elections Commission.

The Portland Elections Commission is a 9-member volunteer commission which implements the Small Donor Elections program and evaluates its progress toward strengthening our local democracy and by doing so, increasing Portlanders' trust in both their democracy and their government.

According to the Charter (Chapter 3, Article 4), the Portland Elections Commission first recommends people for appointment, the Mayor appoints, and Council confirms. At their October 22 meeting, Ms. Lee was unanimously recommended by the Portland Elections Commission.

The Charter requires members of the Portland Elections Commission to collectively reflect the diversity of Portland. In combination with the other eight members, Ms. Lee brings diversity across several important measures – as well as valuable expertise, subject matter knowledge, and lived experience – to the Portland Elections Commission.

I recommend Jenny Lee for appointment to the Portland Elections Commission for the term noted below:

With this appointment, no vacant positions will remain on the Portland Elections Commission.

I recommend that Jenny Lee be appointed to the Portland Elections Commission for a term through April 30, 2029.

Jenny Lee

Bio

As Deputy Director at Coalition of Communities of Color (CCC), Jenny supports organizational and coalition development and various strategic and advocacy initiatives at CCC. She previously served as CCC's Advocacy Director and the Advocacy Director at APANO before returning to CCC as the Deputy Director in summer 2020. Jenny has dedicated her career to racial, social, and economic justice. 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, as well as a year serving as an AmeriCorps member at a SUN School in the Jade District. Jenny holds a JD from Harvard Law School and a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy, French, and political science from the University of Oregon.

Statement of Interest

I am seeking to serve on the Portland Elections Commission because the Commission offers an exciting opportunity to shape the landscape of campaign finance in Portland, as well as serving as a potential model for the state. Access to resources is critical for increasing the diversity of our candidates who run for and are elected to office, and SDE is a critical tool to achieve this. Serving on the advisory board will be a dynamic and meaningful experience with significant opportunity to advance equity in our elections and government.

I hope to build upon the success of SDE by assessing the program's implications for equity, building equitable approaches into its operation and any needed changes, while incorporating lessons learned from the past election to strengthen the program going forward. As someone still learning about campaign finance and elections, I hope to bring some new perspectives that include both policy implications, particularly for BIPOC representing organizations and communities.

My experience in grasstops advocacy and organizing has included several community advisory committees, oversight committees, and workgroups on a wide range of issue areas at both the state and local levels. I am very comfortable building group processes and working collaboratively in multiracial spaces.

Much of my work has been in coalition or collaboration with key partners, as such I see myself as someone who can listen and try to find ways to move forward with various perspectives. As an advocate for various racial, social, and economic justice issues, I strive to consider the perspectives and experiences of those who I often disagree with, or that I hope to bring along to advance the issues I am engaging in.