*Correction: A previous version of this press release stated that the DCS proposed budget is $216 million (proposed for FY 2024). The DCS proposed budget for FY 2024 is $241,501,261.
Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson today named longtime government administrator Margi Bradway as Director of Community Services.
Bradway emerged from a field of 330 applicants nationwide for her experience working in law, transportation, urban planning and environmental policy at the federal, state, regional and local levels.
Her broad background mirrors the diverse and essential services housed in Multnomah County’s Department of Community Services, including Elections, Animal Services, Transportation, Land Use Planning and Solid Waste and Recycling.
"We have several large projects underway in DCS — building a resilient Burnside Bridge, addressing the problems with our Animal Services Division, implementing ranked-choice voting — and I’m looking forward to working with Margi on them," said Chair Jessica Vega Pederson. "Margi brings an innovative, cross-jurisdictional lens to this work that is valued at Multnomah County and so important to the work in this department. I’m excited to continue my long working relationship with her in this new role."
Pending consent of the Board of County Commissioners, Bradway will oversee the department’s over $241 million budget (proposed for FY 2024) and more than 200 employees at locations across the County.
Department of Community Service staff lead some of the region’s most important projects, including the Earthquake Ready Burnside Bridge and Vance Property development projects. The Elections Division, which has 14 full-time employees and employs up to 200 temporary on-call workers during an election cycle, will implement voter-approved, ranked-choice voting for all city and county candidate elections over the next three years. Bradway will step in to also oversee Multnomah County Animal Services — an organization with an operating budget of over $12 million and 59 full-time employees — as it continues to work through a multi-phased review concerning staffing levels, shelter population management, practices and animal care at its Troutdale shelter.
“I see this role as an opportunity to create change by bringing people together to tackle complex public policy issues,’’ Bradway said. She will take over May 22 from Lee Girard, who after retiring as Deputy Director for the Department of County Human Services returned to serve with distinction as Interim Director since December 2022.
A national search
A search firm launched the nationwide recruitment for a director in 2022 by surveying 20 stakeholders, including the Board of County Commissioners, division leaders and community partners, on the skills needed for the role.
After whittling the original field of 330 applicants to 14, County officials conducted interviews until three finalists emerged. The finalists went through further interviews, and videos of the exchanges were shared with 28 stakeholders.
Bradway’s abilities to spearhead innovative projects while managing regulatory, financial and contractual obligations pushed her to the fore. She has led major efforts to integrate and achieve positive equity, health and climate change outcomes through urban planning and transportation projects and programs at the city, regional and state levels. She was also instrumental in developing and implementing equity plans and strategies during her time at the City of Portland and Metro.
A graduate of Michigan State University, Bradway earned a Bachelor of Science in environmental science and natural resources with a focus on environmental justice. She earned a law degree at Lewis & Clark Law School and also obtained a certificate in environmental law.
She began her legal career at Stoel Rives LLP, practicing complex litigation regarding air quality and brownfields. She then entered public service at the Oregon Health Authority and Oregon Department of Transportation. Then she served as Division Manager at the Portland Bureau of Transportation, where she launched the City of Portland’s bike share program, BIKETOWN. She also helped create and develop the City’s first fixed speed camera program, working closely with Portland Police, Multnomah County Courts and other partners to address challenges faced by low-income drivers.
At Metro, Bradway served as the Deputy Director in the Planning, Development and Research Department, which integrates transportation, land use, and economic development planning and investments to address regional issues. There, she oversaw all administrative functions of the Portland-area regional Metropolitan Planning Organization, including federal and state compliance with laws; developed and implemented long-range plans; managed data analysis, modeling and performance measures; and oversaw the programming of funding for large external capital projects.
Bradway was selected in 2023 for the Innovative Project of the Year award by the Portland Chapter of Women in Transportation for her leadership in utilizing creative ways of studying and analyzing congestion pricing tools for transportation systems. In 2022, Bradway was selected from a national pool of candidates to participate in ENO’s flagship leadership program.
As part of that leadership training, one of her peers said: “Margi is both a visionary and realist fueled by intrinsic and external motivations. She has the vision to know where we need to go as a region to address social inequities and climate change while mapping out a path based on the realities of implementation and finance. She is intrinsically motivated by seeing the positive impact of her work on the future.”
Bradway enjoys spending time with her two elementary school-aged children and her husband, Scott Bradway, by skiing, mountain biking and camping as a family. She is the head coach of her daughter’s soccer team and volunteers on the local school PTA board. Born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, she has a lifelong dedication to the Pistons, Lions, Red Wings and Tigers. During her alone time, Bradway runs, gardens, cooks and enjoys a good book.