About the Portland Utility Board

Purpose of the Board

The Portland Utility Board (PUB) is a community oversight body whose purpose is to advise City Council and bureau leadership on budgetary and policy matters related to the two utility bureaus, the Bureau of Environmental Services and the Portland Water Bureau. PUB believes every person is entitled to clean and affordable drinking water, healthy communities, and healthy watersheds.

PUB believes and acts upon anti-racist principles. We must hold ourselves and the Bureaus accountable for identifying and addressing racism, systemic racism, and structural inequities. In interacting with the PUB, while every person has the right to share their personal perspective, we stand against wrongful conduct, particularly any conduct that is targeted toward people that are made vulnerable by systemic inequities.

Read the full version of PUB's Beliefs, Values and Anti-Racist Principles:

PUB has 11 voting members and three ex-officio members. One voting member of the PUB is a current employee in a represented bargaining unit with the Portland Water Bureau or the Bureau of Environmental Services. Board members will be appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the Council. The Mayor and Council strive to have PUB reflect the diversity of the Portland community. 

Current Members

Voting Members

 Kyle J Chipman (he/him) -with over a decade of experience in project and program management, Kyle brings visual thinking and actionable solutions as Chief Process Officer to Chipman Design Architecture. In his time at the firm, he has overhauled the technology stack, defined the knowledgebase, led a company-wide rebranding and directly supported the firm's clients as they structure their own solutions. Kyle excels at tackling abstract obstacles that elicit solutions for the beleaguered with best practices for the whole. He's a member of Smartsheet Overachievers, was nominated to the Miro Hall of Fame for Design, and has spoken at Smartsheet Engage, Miro Distributed and Bluebeam Extreme in addition to multiple webinars and user groups. In service to the environment, Kyle has volunteered with the Sierra Club (Oregon Chapter), serving on its Political Committee, and Citizens' Climate Lobby (Portland Chapter), serving on its Communications Committee. For a more complete window into his body of work, visit kylechipman.info/resume.

Term: July 1, 2024 - June 30, 2027

Co-Chair Term: September 3, 2025 – June 30, 2027

Lorraine Wilson is an immigrant from the beautiful twin island state of Trinidad and Tobago. 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).

At the National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago she prepared Operating and Capital Expenditure budgets as well as tracked variance reports.Financial evaluation of Project Financing for major capital expenditure.  Liaising with all the major banks concerning investment, loans schedules and fixed deposits.  Due Diligence for a US$75M loan facility.

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 was a member of Blacks In Government (BIG) - Eugene/Springfield Branch, having served as the membership chair and National Legislative representative for Region 10. Served on the Boards of Resolution Northwest. (RNW) and 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

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

Term: July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2028

Co-Chair Term: March 17, 2026 – September 17, 2026

Darrel Bobb is an infrastructure and energy systems professional with a background in public works, clean energy, and military service. He currently serves as a utility locator for the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) and is a U.S. Navy veteran who specialized in weapons systems safety and emergency response aboard submarines. A former wind turbine technician and quality assurance specialist, Darrel is committed to technical excellence and ensuring that frontline experience informs public infrastructure decisions.

Term: August 6, 2025 – August 5, 2028

Cormac Burke has been a Portland resident since 1990 and has recently retired from a 40 year career in Information Technology. In his role as an IT Analyst/Architect/Director he worked across numerous organizations and industries to deliver enterprise IT Solutions. Roughly 15 years of his career were spent at a large electric utility based in Portland where he was involved in the implementation and support of Corporate Systems (Financial/HR/Regulatory) as well as Power Delivery and Transmissions systems. In that role he developed a strong appreciation and awareness of both the criticality and nuance of utilities in general, as well as how Investor owned utilities differ from public utilities. He led and collaborated with numerous groups, organizations and vendors in his roles, and built up a strong reputation as an open, supportive and collaborative leader who worked well with people across multiple different cultures. 

He has served in volunteer positions in a variety of areas, including the Multnomah County Citizens Advisory Board, the PCC Information Systems Advisory Committee, and an informal advisory board that was established to provide input and guidance to the City of Portland around their initial implementation of the SAP software suite.

Term: August 6, 2025 – August 5, 2028

Al Hagg grew up near Joliet, Illinois, and earned an engineering degree from the University of Illinois. After beginning his career with the City of Chicago Department of Water Management, he moved to Portland in 2014 and spent several transformative years working in conservation with organizations including Northwest Youth Corps, Friends of Trees, and Oregon State Parks. These experiences sparked a passion for conservation and public lands.

Since 2019, Al has worked for the City of Gresham, where he reviews and manages public infrastructure projects associated with private development. The role built his appreciation for civil service and local government.

Outside of work, Al is active in several community organizations, mainly the East Portland Tool Library, the Nature Conservancy and the One More Time adult marching band. He lives in outer Southeast Portland with his partner, their newborn son, cat and chickens. His interests include cycling, reading, movies, hiking, camping, and learning Polish. He will begin pursuing a master's degree in engineering at Portland State University this year.

Term: August 1, 2026 - July 31, 2029

Dr. Myra Khushbakht is an emergency medicine resident physician at Oregon Health and Science University, where she works to help meet the needs of patients in the emergency department—often deemed the social safety net of the hospital. Here in Portland, she has seen the diversity of our community right in the emergency department both at Legacy Emanuel Medical Center and Oregon Health and Science University. Her working experience further motivates and empowers her in seeking to create inclusive environments and explore ways to participate in supporting infrastructure that help meet people’s social drivers of health and basic needs. She is interested in discussing sustainable recommendations for water infrastructure that helps support our environments and communities. In terms of her career, she specializes in emergency medicine with an interest in medical toxicology, particularly environmental toxicology. Outside the duties of residency, she enjoys learning new languages, tending to her plants, and swimming.

Term: August 6, 2025 – August 5, 2028

Jennifer O’Connor has dedicated her life to public service through her work as a civil servant and her volunteer work with underrepresented communities. A licensed landscape architect with over 20 years of experience, she managed public infrastructure projects with a long-range perspective, including the environmental review and design phases of San Francisco’s Embarcadero Freeway Replacement which was damaged in the Loma Prieta earthquake. She also participated in San Francisco’s Public Utility Commission’s pilot program testing a tertiary treated water system. Jennifer has an understanding about how natural resource systems and water infrastructure could work together to support environmental and community health, and she brings a practical, solutions-focused approach to complex challenges. Her volunteer service on the City of Portland’s CEI Hub Policy Project and Water Bureau’s budget review committee reflect her commitment to ensure the public sector meets community needs and equity goals. Jennifer supports Portland’s One Water Initiative and is ready to step up and assist the city in tackling the growing challenges of its water systems.

Term: August 6, 2025 – August 5, 2028

Rose Poton is the Water Justice Associate at Verde, a Portland-based nonprofit dedicated to building environmental wealth through social enterprise, advocacy, and organizing. She advocates for equitable water solutions that are community-led and driven at the local, state, and national levels. She leads the Oregon Water Futures Collaborative (OWF) annual Water Justice Leadership Institute, facilitating a collaborative space for Oregonians to learn and mobilize around critical environmental issues relating to water. Drawing on a decade of experience as an Oregon licensed nurse, she brings deep empathy, strong communication, and a proven ability to navigate complex conversations to build trust across diverse communities and interests. Rose holds a M.S. in Conflict and Dispute Resolution with a Specialization in Environmental Conflicts related to water from University of Oregon School of Law and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Water Resources Science at Oregon State University.

Term: September 1, 2026 – August 31, 2029

Alexis Rife is an interdisciplinary and systems thinker. She supports partners solve complex problems in the environmental sector. Her focus areas are natural resource management, oceans, food systems, and water - and often at the intersection of these issues. Alexis brings deep experience in designing and facilitating collaborative processes and strategic planning. She holds a firm commitment to advancing equity and environmental justice in our community and world. Alexis volunteers with a range of local organizations, especially those in North Portland where she lives. 

Term: July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2028

Joe Robinson is a planner within Bureau of Environmental Service's (BES') Maintenance Reliability and Asset Management group, a member of the City of Portland Professional Workers' union (CPPW), and a District 4 resident. His work supports the city in maintaining the public's massive wastewater infrastructure portfolio. This work is the culmination of over a decade of experience as a mechanical engineer and program manager in the automotive, aerospace, and consumer electronics industries. Beyond the work experience, he has also been a member of international scientific and social research teams focused on alternative energy and the Circular Water Economy. Although his daily focus is managing BES plant and pump station electrical assets, coordinating regulatory compliance, and modernizing maintenance procedures, he keeps space for equity and organization by being active in the CPPW labor union as well as a volunteer coordinator with multiple local nonprofits. His advocacy of clean water for healthy communities' spans research in Costa Rica, presentations at regional and international symposia, and volunteer outreach for water equity groups.

Term: August 1, 2026 – July 31, 2029

Lauren Rosenkranz (she/her, co-chair) is an environmental scientist specializing in environmental compliance and impact assessment for water resource development projects. With a background in industrial engineering, Lauren's journey has led her from Texas to NYC and Colorado before settling in Portland. She has been active in the music industry across the country, and you can often catch her out enjoying live music or comedy. She is passionate about her community, and always aims to contribute to making the world a better and more sustainable place to live, work, and play. Her hands-on approach to environmental stewardship often finds her knee-deep in cleanups and habitat restoration efforts. Passionate about advocating for environmental justice and equitable access to resources for all humans, Lauren brings a blend of technical expertise and a commitment to sustainability in her work.

Term: July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2027

Previous Co-Chair Term: February 1, 2025 – January 31, 2026

Current Board Vacancies 

3 Ex-Officio Non-Voting Members