What should Portlanders expect from the first years of the transition to a new form of government, including a city administrator and district representation? Join us to hear from two first city administrators about culture change, strategic planning, and more.
There is no way around it: Portland's government structure is undergoing a major transition. But we’re also not the first city in history to make changes to our government and adopt new systems and structures — including installing a city administrator, establishing districts, or adopting ranked choice voting.
For this conversation we’ll be joined by two city administrators with experiences managing transitions. Chris Shorter, County Executive of Prince William County in Virginia and Jenny Haruyama, City Manager for our neighbor to the west, Beaverton, Oregon have experience working in cities with councils that are in transition or are adjusting to changes in government structure and elections systems. In fact both Chris and Jenny both served as the first City Manager in a city (a role similar to the new City Administrator position that Portland is creating) and they navigated the cultural shifts and system changes that come along with creating a new organizational structure.
We will also be joined by special guest Mike Jordan, Chief Administrative Officer for the City of Portland, who has been leading the implementation of the charter changes.
Speaker Bios:
Chris Shorter, County Executive, Prince William County, VA. Chris Shorter was named County Executive for Prince William County, Virginia, by the Board of County Supervisors in October 2022. Prior to this role Chris served as the first City Administrator in the City of Baltimore, Assistant City Manager in Austin, Texas, and served for more than 10 years in leadership roles for the District of Columbia government, including Director of the DC Department of Public Works.
Jenny Haruyama, City Manager, Beaverton OR. Jenny was appointed as Beaverton’s first City Manager in 2021 Prior to this role Jenny was the City Manager of the City of Tracy, California, a community of nearly 100,000 in San Joaquin County. She also served as the City Manager of Scotts Valley, California and the Assistant City Manager of Livermore, California.
Casey Carl, City Clerk and Clerk of Council, Minneapolis, MN. Casey has been City Clerk in Minneapolis for nearly 14 years. He has been instrumental in implementing the charter amendments that Minneapolis voters approved in 2021. Prior to this position, Casey was the Clerk of the Board of County Commissioners in Johnson County, Kansas for 14 years.
Want a preview? Chris Shorter and Jenny Haruyama briefed Portland’s bureau leadership on the roles of the City Manager and City Administrator. Our conversation won’t cover the same ground, but you may find their conversation informative. Watch here.