591-2022

Office of Mayor Ted Wheeler

City of Portland

June 15, 2022

As Mayor and Commissioner of Finance & Administration, and in consultation with Commissioner-in-Charge of the utility bureaus Commissioner Mingus Mapps, I request Council confirmation of the following appointments to the Portland Utility Board:

Respectfully submitted,

Ted Wheeler

Mayor

Biographies and Interest Statements for Appointees:

Voting Member – Reappointment

Karen Williams brings experience in hydrogeology, watershed planning, water quality and public administration to PUB. After several years as an environmental geologist and project manager, she joined the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality and supported watershed councils, local governments and others working across Oregon to measure and improve stream quality.  She's now a policy analyst at DEQ and helps to reduce air pollution from cars and trucks. Karen has enjoyed past service on boards for small nonprofit organizations, her union, neighborhood association, and community budget advisory committees.

Statement of Interest – Karen Williams:

The PUB provides an opportunity to combine interests in water and environmental planning with the desire to promote good governance and civic engagement. I hope to help the community better understand how public dollars are put to use to deliver safe, reliable water and maintain healthy watersheds for current and future generations. I hope to learn from community members how city utilities are meeting or not meeting their needs and how PUB can best advocate for them. I also hope my PUB service can promote programs and policies that support training, career opportunities, and professional well-being for utility bureaus' workers and contractors.

Voting Members - New Appointments

Alexis Rife works in the environmental non-profit sector, primarily on natural resource management . Her work is largely focused on understanding the dynamics of complex, intersecting systems that shape fisheries, especially working closely with coastal communities in Southeast Asia and Latin America. Alexis brings much experience in facilitating collaborative processes, designing and applying participatory processes, and ensuring that voices of all stakeholders are involved in decision-making. She holds a firm commitment to advancing equity and environmental justice in our world and is especially interested in access to information. Alexis volunteers with a range of local organizations, especially those in North Portland. 

Statement of Interest – Alexis Rife:

I am excited about the PUB as an opportunity to bring my skillsets and passion to advance the work of the City Council and utility bureaus in my own community. I care deeply about ensuring that all communities have equitable access to clean water, air, and green spaces and serving on the PUB would allow me to directly have a positive impact on my city. I am also very excited about how anti-racist principles are being incorporated into city government and am eager to contribute in a positive and meaningful way to this effort. I believe strongly in community and environmental justice and equity and see the work of the PUB as a key way to advance these values. If selected to serve, during my service I hope to advance the Bureau’s efforts to advance equitable practices and contribute to planning for climate change. These are inter-related goals, and I think some of the most urgent issues facing our city and world.

Bob Sallinger has 30-years of experience working on conservation issues in the Portland Metro Area and across the state of Oregon. His areas of focus are habitat protection and restoration, green infrastructure, access to nature, and biodiversity. Much of his work has focused on urban conservation and he is passionate about creating green sustainable, equitable urban landscapes where everybody is able to enjoy the environmental, social, economic and health benefits of a healthy landscape and where wildlife is able to coexist. He has served on numerous public committees including the Portland Parks Board, as an elected Director at the East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District, on the Bureau of Environmental Services stakeholder committee that developed the Portland Watershed Management Plan and on multiple budget committees for Portland Bureau of Environmental Services, Portland Parks and Recreation and the Portland Bureau of Planning. He has worked for the Audubon Society of Portland for 30-years and currently serves as their director of conservation. Earlier in his career, he ran Portland Audubon's Wildlife Rehabilitation Center where he oversaw the treatment of more than 40,000 injured wild animals. He has a degree in biology from Reed College and a law degree with an environmental certificate from Lewis and Clark Law School.  He lives with his family in NE Portland with an assortment of dogs, goats, chickens and pigeons.

Statement of Interest – Bob Sallinger:

Our community faces unprecedented challenges right now. I believe that infrastructure agencies such as BES and the Water Bureau can have tremendous positive impacts on our communities. At their core, these bureaus must be able to provide stable, competent, affordable basic services to the community. However, they also have the potential to be transformative in the way in which they plan, hire, contract, procure, and implement their responsibilities. I am most excited about the opportunities that BES and the Water Bureau have to advance environmental health, public health and social justice. I have chosen to apply to be on the PUB now  I believe I can bring extensive experience working effectively on public oversight committees, a strong background in developing cutting edge environmental programs, and demonstrable ability to connect communities to the work of these bureaus.  Portland has long been recognized as being on the cutting edge nationally for its environmental and green infrastructure programs. However, in recent years that reputation has been slipping. I am very interested in working with BES and the Water Bureau to ensure that Portland regains its reputation as a national leader on environmental and community health.

Heather Day-Melgar holds a BA in psychology, and is completing an MS in geography, spring of 2023, with an emphasis in urban climate change solutions and adaptation. She has 13 years of experience as a social worker, working with vulnerable and at-risk populations. She is now doing research on nature-based climate solutions for urban areas to help mitigate rising temperatures and extreme heat events, which centers around racial and environmental justice, and traditional Indigenous knowledges for land management. She has many years of experience as a leader in grassroots community activism for social justice. Heather has interests in policy around climate change mitigation and urban development, as well as local government, and feels the PUB is a great way to serve her community and learn more about local policy and decision making. She volunteers with the local nonprofit Solve, which helps clean up the Portland metro area. In her spare time, Heather enjoys hiking, nature photography, gardening, yoga, and playing ukelele.

Statement of Interest – Heather Day-Melgar:

I have long been interested in city and local government and am passionate about community engagement. I left social work to begin a new career path, and I feel my strengths and interests lie in the realm of policy making and solution frameworks, with equity and justice at the center. This would be a great introduction to that, and experience that I would value. Although I do not completely know what to expect, I would hope that my perspective would be of value, and contribute to any needed progress towards equity, environmental justice, or mitigate issues around environmental degradation.

Lorraine Wilson is an immigrant from the beautiful twin island state of Trinidad and Tobago, who moved to the United States 21+ years ago.  Coming from a family of educators and humanitarians, she resisted the natural path to becoming an educator.  However, over the years she has embraced her natural leaning towards learning, coaching and authentic communication and have continued her calling to speak up and act against injustices and inhumanity.

Her field of study is in Organizational Leadership, Strategic Planning and Organizational Behavior (Culture Change), with a master’s degree in Organizational Leadership and BSc. in Business Management (emphasis on Organizational Behavior).

Lorraine’s upbringing was grounded in racial justice and as such she volunteered in various areas to drive those conversations and changes.  She served as a Commissioner on the Oregon Commission on Black Affairs (OCBA) from 2010 -2013 serving as Vice Chair. There she championed racial equity and challenged the state to focus on hate crimes during the “Post Racial” period (2008-2016).  She was a member of the Eugene 4J School District Equity Committee with a focus on closing the achievement/opportunity gap, United Coalition of Color (working on the Disproportionate Minority contact at Lane County Department of Youth Services).  She is also a member of Blacks In Government (BIG) - Eugene/Springfield Branch, having served as the membership chair and National Legislative representative for Region 10.  She is currently serving on the Board of Resolution Northwest. (RNW) and a Board Aunty of Brown Girls Rise. Lorraine also served on the Portland Harbor Community Grant Review Committee and advocated successfully for increased funding for community groups, Children Levy fund reviewer and Oregon Community Fund Grant Reviewer.

Lorraine has facilitated inclusive Strategic Planning with Brown Girls Rise, Co-Facilitated - American Association of University Women (AAUW) Washington Online Branch – Diversity and Inclusion Online Training and as a Board member at RNW, part of the strategic focus on dismantling white supremacy within the organization, and have contributed to conversations challenging the status quo.

What you are guaranteed to get is honest, thoughtful, humane consideration.  Lorraine considers herself a thought leader in dissecting systemic racism and anti-blackness

Statement of Interest – Lorraine Wilson:

What excites me is the opportunity to advocate resulting in better outcomes and greater impact. Having the opportunity to take the challenges and barriers that I and others have experienced, and raising them within the spaces that creates them, to develop better policies, procedures and practices that results in timely, matter of fact changes informed by community. The opportunity to work with others collaboratively to create empowered communities that are confident advocating for themselves. The opportunity to work within the system to create positive change. If I am selected and appointed to serve, I would firstly spend time learning about what the Board has accomplished before my time and how successful it has been in creating change. This would provide a better understanding of the foundation that is already there. This would guide me in determining, how I can move forward with ensuring that the board centers equity in all its work. I would take the time to learn about the City’s funding mechanisms through utility rate charges applied to residents; and how those monies are spent. Ultimately, what I would plan to accomplish during my service would be to ensure that the City provides reliable services that are cost efficient and affordable to all residents, understanding the customers’ needs intimately so that it is reflected in the water and sewer rates they are charged.

Christopher Richard (Chris) is an Accountant II in the Bureau of Environmental Services and a member of AFSCME Local 189. Chris has been with the BES since 2008 and joined the City shortly after Portland converted to SAP. He has years of experience as a super user with the system in the private sector. Additionally, Chris has over 25 years of Accounting experience in both the private sector as well as public/ government sector with Accounting, Purchasing & Procurement. Chris lives in Portland with his husband John, dog Honey. He enjoys reading and all things sci-fi and fantasy.

Statement of Interest - Chris Richard:

To bring an employee, Union and Accounting perspective to the board. To hopefully be able to point in a direction where PUB would be able to get the answers. Which then support the best recommendations to be made by the PUB.

Ex-Officio Member – Re-Appointment

Sarah Messier (she/her) is a Water Quality Information Program Coordinator at the Portland Water Bureau. Sarah has worked in the Water Quality Information group at PWB since 2014. Her work includes managing a lead hazard reduction grant program, conducting lead-in-water outreach, producing the annual Drinking Water Quality Report, preparing for emergency communication events, and increasing native language and disability access to water quality information. She has a strong interest in improving workplace culture and co-leads an equity discussion series for the Water Quality group to increase workplace inclusion and delivery of equitable outcomes. Sarah has a Bachelor of Science in Marine and Freshwater Biology from University of New Hampshire and a Masters of Science in Marine Resource Management from Oregon State University. Outside of work, you can find Sarah exploring nature with her family, baking with her two young kids, tending her houseplants, and reading as much as she can.

Statement of Interest – Sarah Messier:

It’s my honor to serve the people who drink Portland’s water. I have a deep-rooted vision and belief in the good that government can provide, while also holding the truth that government continues to inflict harm on many of our communities. My work at the Water Bureau is focused on increasing the community trust that our tap water is safe to drink and removing systemic barriers to that information. I am grateful to join PUB for a second year to continue building community trust in the Water Bureau as a steward of water quality, ratepayer funds, and the drinking water system as well as increasing access and transparency of budget priorities and decision-making. It is a privilege to serve on PUB as a Water Bureau liaison and be a voice for our bureau and the diverse communities we serve.

Ex-Officio Member – New Appointment

Joseph Spada (Joe) is a Water Service Inspector II for the Portland Water Bureau. Joe started his journey in public utilities in 2013 at Coos-Curry Electric Cooperative on the Oregon coast. In 2015, he joined the Water Bureau Call Center as a Customer Accounts Specialist I and for the past six years has interacted with customers in the field. His combined experience allows for a broader, more in depth understanding of how the Water Bureau’s customer service operates and interacts internally and externally. Joe feels honored and privileged that he is able to work for the city in which he lives and strives to provide quality, efficient service to Portland’s residents, businesses, and communities.

Outside of work, Joe has previously served as a Chapter chair for his labor union AFSCME 189, and currently serves as a Trustee. In his personal life, on a regular Sunday morning, you can find Joe in his online tutoring sessions learning Romanian so that he can better connect with his wife and in-laws, and make new connections with the Moldovan/Romanian communities here in Portland.

Statement of Interest – Joe Spada:

It’s a beautiful thing to be part of providing some of the best water in the world to our community. I feel that being a customer and a representative of the Water Bureau is unique and I hope to use my experiences from both aspects to provide better understanding about the work that we do. I want to become further educated in the innerworkings with the internal and external stakeholders. And I hope to provide a strong, transparent voice for my colleagues and community members.