The Multnomah County Board of Commissioners on Thursday unanimously confirmed the appointments of two new department directors: Dan Field, who will serve as the director of the Joint Office of Homeless Services, and Margi Bradway, who will serve as the director of the Department of Community Services.
“Today we have an opportunity to welcome two vital leaders at a critical time for Multnomah County, to bring them into the work that we do and give them opportunities to help us meet immediate needs and build more sustainable solutions,” Chair Jessica Vega Pederson said.
Chief Operating Officer Serena Cruz presented Field and Bradway to the Board. “We are so very excited to welcome Margi and Dan to the County, bringing us their expertise and values that align so well with the way we approach our work here at the County,” Cruz said.
Field will start his new role April 28, and Bradway will start May 22.
Dan Field to lead Joint Office of Homeless Services
Field, a longtime Kaiser Permanente executive, was selected to lead the Joint Office of Homeless Services after a national search and extensive hiring process that prioritized community feedback. Chair Jessica Vega Pederson and Mayor Ted Wheeler announced Field’s hiring on April 5.
“There is no greater area of need than leadership that increases our ability to respond to the crisis of unsheltered homelessness on our streets. Dan has an impressive record of service, innovation and the work of building nontraditional partnerships — all of which I know will serve him very well in this role,” Vega Pederson said. “But what makes me most excited to work more closely with him is what I know to be his personal investment in helping us stand up solutions in our region, right now.”
Field emerged from a pool of 48 candidates in large part because of his demonstrated experience in finding concrete solutions to some of Oregon’s most complex and seemingly intractable problems, through negotiation and a commitment to building new partnerships.
In his nearly two decades at Kaiser, among other accomplishments, Field played a lead role in founding HealthShare of Oregon, the breakthrough collaboration between local healthcare systems and Multnomah, Clackamas and Washington counties to coordinate healthcare for 400,000 metro-area residents on the Oregon Health Plan.
Field’s leadership also bridged the often interconnected issues of housing and healthcare, including leading Oregon hospital systems to invest in Central City Concern’s Blackburn Center, which opened in 2019 and provides wraparound health and supportive housing services to residents.
Field is taking over from deputy director Joshua Bates, who has served with distinction as interim director since November 2022. Bates will return to his role as deputy director.
Field said he’s excited to enter the role, even as he acknowledged the challenges that wait. After hearing support from community leaders, providers and stakeholders in the weeks since he was announced as the new director, he said he is optimistic about the work ahead.
“The one common theme I’ve heard from everyone is they really want to lean in and help us succeed. There’s nobody not rooting for our success and our ability to house people and keep them safely housed in our community,” Field said. “There are disagreements about how we can best do that, but that’s what we’re all in our leadership roles to address. There’s nobody that’s not rooting for our success, and that’s a great place to be as a community.”
Margi Bradway to lead Department of Community Services
Bradway emerged from a field of 330 applicants nationwide because of her experience working in law, transportation, urban planning and environmental policy at the federal, state, regional and local levels.
Bradway, whose appointment to lead the Department of Community Services was announced April 7, most recently served as Metro’s Deputy Director in the Planning, Development and Research Department. Her career in public service also included positions at the Portland Bureau of Transportation, the Oregon Department of Transportation and the Oregon Health Authority.
“Margi’s work on transit systems is exemplary, so I can’t wait for her help in thinking through the infrastructure opportunities that will help the County keep pace and modernize,” Vega Pederson said. “And complex public policy is a passion of Margi’s — something she and I share — and I look forward to our future discussions.”
Bradway’s ability 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.
The breadth of her 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.
Department of Community Services staff also lead some of the region’s most important projects, including the Earthquake Ready Burnside Bridge and Vance Property development projects. The Elections Division will implement voter-approved ranked-choice voting for all City of Portland and Multnomah County candidate elections over the next three years.
Bradway will also step in to oversee Multnomah County Animal Services as it continues to work through a multi-phased review concerning staffing levels, shelter population management, practices and animal care at its Troutdale shelter.
“Many of you got a chance to know me through my work on transportation, but prior to my past ten years working on transportation, I actually worked on a wide range of issues and I’m very excited to take on the challenges everything from ranked-choice voting to the future of Burnside Bridge,” Bradway said.
She will take over May 22 from Lee Girard, who served with distinction as interim director since December 2022, after retiring as Deputy Director for the Department of County Human Services.
Board unanimously approves appointments.
The Board expressed excitement to work with Bradway and Field as they start their new roles.
Commissioner Diane Rosenbaum highlighted past positive experiences working with Field, and said her focus on improving Animal Services means she’ll be working with Bradway in her new role. “I have a special spot for the Multnomah County Animal Services, so I look forward to working on that with you and other important things,” Rosenbaum said to Bradway.
Commissioner Lori Stegmann said her district in east Multnomah County will need Bradway’s “help and support with Animal Services and Transportation,” also noting Bradway’s leadership of the Vance Project. Stegmann said she’ll work with Field on adding and maintaining services in east Multnomah County.
“The fact you have such broad support from every sector in the community speaks volumes, and I’m so happy you stepped up,” Stegmann said to Field.
Commissioner Sharon Meieran, a Kaiser Permanente doctor, said her past experiences with Field made her confident about his leadership.
“I have been so fortunate to work with you for many, many years at Kaiser. And I know you through that work as a true leader in every sense of the word. You’re a relationship builder, a systems thinker, a problem solver,” Meieran said. “You see the big picture and you see the need for building coalitions and collaboration between people, between organizations and among systems.”
And, Meieran told Bradway, “Your passion for serving our community is so clearly represented in all of your accomplishments and the amazing work that you have done.”
Commissioner Susheela Jayapal said that she’s confident in Bradway’s ability to handle the challenges in the Department of Community Services.
“It's just a really important group of fundamental functions of the County, and I have every confidence you'll come into that ready to go, ready to maintain some of the work being done there and seeing improvements that need to be made,” she said.
Jayapal also said her past work with Field left her eager to work with him in his new role
“I’ve been able to see your pragmatism and focus for getting results, along with your heart for this work” Jayapal said. “Your health experience I also think will be so valuable, so I am very much looking forward to working with you on this challenging and vital area.”
“One thing I appreciate about both of you coming in is your enthusiasm, your passion and dedication to taking on this work,” Vega Pederson said. “You’re stepping into these big important jobs, starting to work with employees at Multnomah County, and working with this leadership team and this Board in really doing the critical mission work of the Department of Community Services and the Joint Office of Homeless Services.”
