The Office of Government Relations announced today that Adam Becenti will serve as Tribal Relations program manager, guiding the City’s work with sovereign Tribes and the urban American Indian and Alaska Native communities in Portland.
As Tribal Relations program manager, Becenti will develop a strategic vision for the city’s work with sovereign Tribes and Portland’s urban American Indian and Alaska Native communities, facilitate government-to-government relations, and inform programs, policies, and decision-making to create a welcoming and inclusive city.
Becenti has served U.S. Tribes in various capacities - protecting, preserving, and fostering Tribal sovereignty.
Most recently, he led the Office of Tribal Affairs for the Oregon Department of Human Services, serving the nine Tribes of Oregon and Tribal communities across the state. He also developed the agency's first Tribal consultation policy and played a key role in the passage of the Oregon Indian Child Welfare Act in 2021.
Prior to his role with the Oregon Department of Human Services, Becenti contributed to the development of children's mental health infrastructure and programming at the National Indian Child Welfare Association and coordinated mental health services for Tribal youth from Pacific Northwest Tribal Nations for Youth Villages, Inc.
Becenti holds a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology and Ethnic Studies from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and a Master's Degree in Public Policy from the University of Michigan Ann Arbor.
He has lived in Portland for 11 years and enjoys outrigger canoeing, being plant-forward, and sci-fi movies.