The Multnomah County Board of Commissioners on Wednesday, May 7, celebrated its monthly Proclamation Day by approving seven proclamations.
Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
The Board proclaimed May 2025 as Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in Multnomah County. The proclamation was co-sponsored by Commissioner Julia Brim-Edwards, Commissioner Vince Jones-Dixon and the Employees of Color Employee Resource Group.
Multnomah County is home to over 60,000 Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander residents. Brim-Edwards highlighted the strong Asian community in her East Portland district, saying the area is “an epicenter of the Asian community. We have the Jade District, Fubonn (Shopping Center), the 82nd Avenue corridor, Division Midway, and many family-owned, local and culturally specific businesses.”
Commissioner Jones-Dixon was unable to attend the ceremony as he was on a legislative trip to Washington, D.C., but his mother, Kimberely Dixon, was there to speak on his behalf.
“As a mother of many, I’m proud to share my beginnings not only as a foster child-turned-adoptee from the Hawaiian islands — more specifically, the overthrown Hawaiian islands and kingdom. Today, I watch my son, possibly the only Pacific Islander elected official in the region, hold a seat at the table where decisions are made,” Dixon said. “Representation matters, and so does what we do with it. … Let this proclamation be more than words on paper. Let it be a promise to see, to honor and to act.”
Jonathan Cruz, a program specialist in the County’s Environmental Health program, read the proclamation. Zumana Rahman, chair of the Employees of Color Employee Resource Group, also joined online in support.
“The history of Asian and Pacific Islanders in Oregon is one of survival and resilience in the face of violence, discrimination and civil rights violations,” Cruz read. “Multnomah County is committed to learning from and working with Asian and Pacific Islander partners and community organizations to eliminate disparities.”
Public Service Recognition Week
The Board also recognized the week of May 4-10 as Public Service Recognition Week. Sponsored by Chair Jessica Vega Pederson, the proclamation honors Multnomah County’s 6,300-person workforce and its dedication to public service.
Kelli Gallippi, the outgoing employee recognition coordinator who is now an administrative analyst in the Department of County Management, introduced and read the proclamation.
“Each year, we celebrate Public Service Recognition Week as one way of letting our employees know that they are valued, that we know the work they do is crucial to the success of our community and that we are proud to work alongside them,” Gallippi said.
She also thanked for Board “for taking time today to call attention to Public Service Recognition Week, for this proclamation and for celebrating the great work [County employes] do every day to serve our community.”
“Each and every day, Multnomah County employees provide the diverse services our community deserves from their government, with efficiency and integrity,” Gallippi read from the proclamation.
Gallippi said the employee celebrations will continue with an Employee Recognition Awards ceremony on Wednesday, May 14, at which 12 awards will be presented to a mix of individual employees and teams for their outstanding service. The awardees were selected from 142 nominations that included 942 unique County employees.
Mental Health Awareness Month
The Board proclaimed May 2025 as Mental Health Awareness Month. Focused on breaking the stigma of mental illness and other mental health challenges, the month-long occasion uplifts mental health advocacy and underscores the County’s commitment to helping people achieve behavioral health wellness.
Commissioner Meghan Moyer co-sponsored the proclamation along with the Health Department’s Behavioral Health Division.
“It is my honor to bring Mental Health Awareness Month to Multnomah County as somebody who has personally experienced mental illness and has a passion for supporting people with mental illness,” she said. “Many people with mental illness are contributing every day, making our community a better place.”
Jay Auslander, the Behavioral Health Division’s interim deputy director, presented the proclamation.
“The Multnomah County Health Department and Behavioral Health Division provide services to help our communities access vital healthcare and resources to thrive. Destigmatizing mental health care and mental health parity are crucial steps to ensuring every resident of Multnomah County gets the health care they need,” Auslander read.
Older Americans Month
The Board also acknowledged Older Americans Month, celebrated each May. Commissioner Brim-Edwards co-sponsored the proclamation along with the Department of County Human Services and its Aging, Disability and Veterans Services Division (ADVSD).
“Multnomah County is home to over 165,000 people over the age of 60, and I am part of that class,” said Brim-Edwards. “Many people in this room work year-round on improving the lives of older adults and making the County a place where everyone gets supported as they age. Whether someone needs one-on-one health benefits, counseling, meals, a ride to the barber, caregiver assistance or residential care, many Multnomah County programs offer support for older adults.”
The proclamation was read by Marina Khalina, a senior program manager for ADVSD, which provides many services specifically for older adults.
“Multnomah County’s older adults and elders have helped build and shape the community through contributing their time, wisdom and experience,” Khalina read. “Challenging negative assumptions and stereotypes about aging affirms our commitment to support older adults, emphasizing the many positive aspects of aging and embracing the diversity of our residents.”
Provider Appreciation Day
The Board proclaimed May 9, 2025, Provider Appreciation Day in Multnomah County. Celebrated each May on the Friday before Mother’s Day, Provider Appreciation Day honors child care workers and other providers and educators serving young children.
“[This is] the day we set aside in Multnomah County to appreciate providers, across a huge system of safety net services who go the distance in Multnomah County for the community,” said Chair Vega Pederson.
Multnomah County’s Preschool and Early Learning Division Director Leslee Barnes took turns reading the proclamation with several Preschool for All providers.
“This day recognizes the work of child care educators, teachers and caregivers of young children who have dedicated their energy to create and support safe, caring and stimulating environments where children can learn and grow,” the proclamation reads. “An estimated 5% of Multnomah County’s residents are under 5 years old and require some form of child care. Child care providers are a vital part of Multnomah County’s community and economy.”
Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives Day of Awareness
The Board proclaimed May 5, 2025, as Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives Day of Awareness in Multnomah County. Bringing attention to a national crisis, this day honors the Indigenous and Native American families who experience and are affected by the disproportionate rate of violence, homicides and other traumatizing crimes.
The proclamation was sponsored by the County’s Government Relations Office and Commissioner Moyer. Tribal Relations Liaison JR Lilly introduced the proclamation, which was read by representatives from the Future Generations Collaborative: Raven Harmon, a cultural specialist who is Athabascan, Yup’ik and Colville on her maternal side, and Eastern Shoshone and Ute on her paternal side; and Kristen Bell, a community education worker who is a member of the Northern Arapaho Tribe. Harmon read the proclamation in Chinuk Wawa, which she described as “the native language of this land,” while Bell read the proclamation in English.
“It is critical to acknowledge the connection between colonialism and the use of colonial violence against individuals, communities and throughout systems,” the proclamation reads. “Indigenous women, Two Spirit and Indige-Queer peoples, men, youth and relatives face the highest rates of life-threatening or life-ending violence per capita out of any other race and are often unprotected by the American legal system due to racism and jurisdiction challenges as tribes hold a unique and sovereign status.”
Dennell Broncho, deputy director of the Department of Community Services and a tribal citizen of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, shared her personal story of losing her nephew Matthew.
“I speak today not just as a professional, but from the deeply personal perspective as an auntie, to share my family’s history and to explain why this proclamation is so important to the greater Portland community and to all the relatives out there who look like us,” Broncho said.
Broncho shared that on March 20, 2019, Matt went out to run some errands. When he never came home, his worried parents were able to track his phone’s location — finding it in Snowville, Utah, 95 miles south of where they lived in the Fort Hall Indian Reservation in Idaho.
Two days later, his mother found his truck parked off a freeway exit ramp, with his cell phone and wallet still in the center console. But there was no sign of Matt.
“An initial search quickly was organized involving multiple jurisdictions of family, tribal members, tribal fishing and game authorities, as well as multiple law enforcement agencies from both the reservation and Utah,” Broncho said. “However, after some time, Matt’s case seemed to fade from official attention.”
It wasn’t until five years later, in 2024, that a hiker found Matt’s remains in the remote mountain ranges of Box County, Utah.
While the family has not received, and perhaps never will receive, a definitive answer to what happened to Matt, Broncho said that "what we do know is that our family enlisted the help of law enforcement, we enlisted the help of others, we searched tirelessly, we prayed, we worried and then we grieved.
“This county proclamation is a crucial step in bringing awareness and engaging the public. We can generate tips about active cases that may aid investigations, and most importantly, offer hope to the families of those who have gone missing.”
Vietnamese Remembrance Day
For the final proclamation of the day, the Board recognized April 30, 2025, as Vietnamese Remembrance Day, which recognizes the contributions of Vietnamese Americans in Multnomah County. Commissioner Shannon Singleton co-sponsored the proclamation with Commissioner Brim-Edwards.
“Vietnamese refugees, immigrants and Vietnamese Americans have made significant and lasting contributions to the state of Oregon across many vital areas, including politics, industry, economy, culture, education, cuisine and military service,” Singleton said. “I was particularly moved to sponsor this because my father is a Vietnam vet, and I saw the impact of the war not only on those who didn’t come home, but those who did.”
Oregon State Representative Daniel Nguyen, one of the sponsors of a similar State resolution recognizing Vietnamese Remembrance Day, was in attendance online. Commissioner Singleton read the proclamation in English, while Thao Tu, president of the Vietnamese Community of Oregon, read it for the audience in Vietnamese.
“Vietnamese immigrants, refugees and Vietnamese Americans have counted the state of Oregon as being their second heart, mind and family homeland,” the proclamation reads. “Every year, Vietnamese immigrants, refugees and Vietnamese Americans celebrate Remembrance Day on April 30 to solemnly honor the 58,000 American service people, including the 810 soldiers from the state of Oregon, and more than 300,000 South Vietnamese soldiers, who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty for freedom and democracy in South Vietnam from November 1955 to April 1975.”
