A snapshot of County Commissioner activities and appearances this week.
Commissioner Sharon Meieran
Last weekend, Commissioner Meieran participated (virtually!) in Congregation Beth Israel’s annual Shabbat service and The Skanner’s annual breakfast honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In the spirit of volunteerism, Commissioner Meieran trained with members of the community to engage in this year’s Point In Time Count to meet with and survey people experiencing houselessness, with the plan to go out to encampments this coming week. On Jan. 20, Commissioner Meieran hosted her monthly virtual constituent office hour where she engaged with community members about various issues, including houselessness, resilience and emergency management. On Saturday, Jan. 22, Commissioner Meieran planned to attend the Vietnamese Community of Oregon’s Vietnamese Lunar “Tet” Festival to celebrate the Year of the Tiger. Next week, Commissioner Meieran will be a guest speaker at the SE Uplift’s Houselessness Action Committee meeting.
Commissioner Meieran also recently welcomed a new Policy Director to her team! Cristina Nieves. Cristina’s lived experience as the daughter of a single mother who immigrated to the United States led her to public service. She previously worked for Common Cause Oregon, a non-profit organization focused on ensuring democracy and empowering all people to engage in our political system. Before her time at Common Cause Oregon, she worked as a Senior Policy Advisor for Commissioner Amanda Fritz at the City of Portland.
Commissioner Jessica Vega Pederson
This week Commissioner Vega Pederson participated in a number of activities related to Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service. She attended the Congregation Beth Israel’s Shabbat Service last Friday, and The Skanner Breakfast on Monday morning. On Wednesday, the Commissioner attended the NACo Large Urban Caucus Meeting. The Commissioner also represented the county at several transportation meetings, attending the Joint Policy Advisory Committee on Transportation and TriMet Transit Advisory Committee meetings, and she submitted written testimony to the Oregon Transportation Commission in support of federal funding for county transportation priorities. She also participated in the Reimagine Oregon convening with lawmakers at the local, regional and state level to discuss actions and investments needed to address systemic racism. On Saturday she will attend the Vietnamese Lunar Tet Festival at Thuận Phát Supermarket.
Commissioner Lori Stegmann
Commissioner Stegmann began the week by observing Martin Luther King Jr Day with the Congregation Beth Israel’s Shabbat Service and the Skanner MLK breakfast. Her week was focused on helping the most vulnerable in our community. She encouraged others to join her as she completed her training for the Point in Time Count. Commissioner Stegmann was then briefed on the Metro Supportive Housing Services IGA and joined the Cities of Wood Village, Fairview and Troutdale for a Houseless Forum.
Commissioner Susheela Jayapal
Commissioner Jayapal kicked off this week by attending the virtual Skanner Foundation 36th Annual MLK Breakfast. Dr. King was a powerful advocate for economic justice - for addressing poverty and inequality - a core priority for Commissioner Jayapal. As part of her continued exploration of how the County can continue to prioritize economic justice, the Commissioner met with the Income Movement to discuss nationwide efforts to implement a universal basic income. She also engaged in several meetings on houselessness with nonprofit service providers and partners at the City of Portland, focusing on strategies to accelerate the process of moving people from houselessness to housing. At this week’s Board meeting, Commissioner Jayapal sponsored the Board’s proclamation of January as Human Trafficking Awareness Month, hosting a powerful panel of survivors; and closed out the week by participating in a Reimagine Oregon meeting with Black leaders to discuss the action items towards dismantling racism.