Serving as Portland’s first City Administrator is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Building on what we have achieved in the commission form of government, we now have new tools to deliver excellent services and solve big problems for Portlanders. My role is to facilitate and lead us through this change, and to set up the city administrator hired by the next mayor for success. I hope you’ll hold me accountable to these four commitments.
I will ask employees and community members for their ideas – and I will listen.
Portland’s problems – and its potential – are too big for any single leader or team. That’s why I’ll tap into the collective wisdom of Portlanders and the 7,500 city employees who serve them. As a primary decision-maker, I need to hear their good ideas and create a culture of trust, collaboration and risk-taking. Only then will employees feel empowered to share solutions, test the limits and try new approaches. Let's build on past successes and make Portland a leader and innovator in solving big-city problems.
My team and I will communicate clearly, and often.
Employees and community members often feel overwhelmed with information – but sometimes don’t get the information they need, when they need it. Going forward, timely and transparent communication will be one of my top priorities. I will work closely with my leadership team, as well as directors, managers and front-line staff, to make sure people receive the information they need to access resources and participate in important decisions.
I will trust employees to do their jobs, so I can deliver on mine.
It is my job to lead the organization, not manage the city's programs. I need our leadership team to lead with me: develop new ways of doing business, create a culture of excellence and inclusion, remove barriers, see the big picture and help others see it too. We will trust the City’s talented employees do their daily work and fix problems that come their way. Together we are accountable for making Portland a great place to live, work and do business.
I reserve the right (and the responsibility!) to get smarter.
While I am prepared to make tough decisions, I am also prepared to change course based on new information, evolving circumstances and meaningful feedback. Remember, we are delivering a historic transformation of Portland’s city government. We won’t get everything perfect the first time – and that’s OK. Let’s stay humble and ambitious.