The Multnomah County Board of Commissioners on Thursday, April 9, confirmed the appointment of a new permanent director for the Homeless Services Department: Nathaniel VerGow, who most recently served as the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority’s (LAHSA) deputy chief program officer.
VerGow will begin his work leading the Homeless Services Department on May 4. His selection was first announced on April 2, though a majority board vote was required to make his hiring official.
“Nathaniel was selected to fill this important role for the county and our community after an extensive search that drew over 100 local and national candidates. While there were many qualified candidates, Nathaniel stood out because he brings substantial expertise from his time at the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, or LAHSA,” said Chair Jessica Vega Pederson. “He understands the full continuum of prevention, services, shelter and housing services that people most benefit from. Importantly, he developed this expertise through both leadership roles and years of direct service in the field.”
County leadership highlighted how VerGow’s prior experience is closely aligned with the work he’ll be doing for Multnomah County.
“[His] work strengthened capacity by managing new funding and increasing shelter beds, improving performance management and oversight, and fostering a culture of data-driven decisionmaking, including the introduction of new progress dashboards,” said Sara Morrissey, a deputy chief operating officer for Multnomah County. “We’re confident that Nathaniel’s expertise and values align with Multnomah County’s mission, and we’re excited to welcome him.”
VerGow told Board members he was “excited and humbled by the opportunity presented to me in this appointment today.”
He acknowledged he is entering the role at a challenging time, with the department entering a period of budget constraint. “We’ll be working with the department and our provider partners to identify opportunities to both increase efficiency and improve oversight, to ensure that we are reducing service duplication and improving outcomes while ensuring that outcomes are responsive to the needs of participants.”
VerGow also committed to working with the City of Portland, along with the East County cities of Gresham, Troutdale, Wood Village and Fairview, saying that he’d work to “coordinate outreach services, and ensure equitable access to services across the County.”
Commissioners share thoughts on appointment
The Board of Commissioners voted 3-2 to approve the appointment, with Commissioners Vince Jones-Dixon and Shannon Singleton dissenting.
Commissioner Julia Brim-Edwards asked VerGow to respond to comments made by members of the public about an accountability issue involving a service provider funded by LAHSA.
VerGow said that LAHSA’s own compliance department uncovered that the provider appeared to be misspending public dollars and proactively reported the issue to the district attorney’s office.
“It was our agency that uncovered the issues and brought it to light,” VerGow said. “We also cut ties with that agency, moving all of our programming to other providers in the area.”
VerGow said he wishes the issue had been discovered sooner, but that with the lessons learned from the incident, LAHSA hired a chief risk officer and has worked to improve its contract monitoring and risk assessment practices to prevent similar issues in the future.
Brim-Edwards said she appreciated VerGow’s answers, and approved of his appointment. “I’m a big believer in taking action now rather than later. I feel confident that you are going to move into this role and bring the expertise you have, and also the skills and a commitment to getting after making real progress on this issue,” she said. “I want to thank the staff for bringing forward qualified candidates for the position, because this is one of our most important challenges as we move forward as a county.”
Commissioner Jones-Dixon said he would not be voting in favor of VerGow’s appointment. “This is no slight on you, but just based on the feedback I’ve received and what I’ve reviewed over the past few weeks, I don’t believe you are the right fit for the moment. That doesn’t mean I won’t work with you, and I’ve been proven wrong,” he said. “Thank you for being here and for going through the process.”
Noting Jones-Dixon’s dissenting vote, VerGow said he was committed to “working with you, hand in glove, to make sure services are provided to the unhoused residents of the County.”
Commissioner Meghan Moyern said she was looking for a candidate with “a depth of understanding of different modalities, different approaches, and the ability to help us at a critical time,” she said. “I think the work ahead of us now is to transform our system into a sustainable long-term system that can effectively and efficiently help people reach the most independent long-term solution for their housing and support. And your background, I thought, showed a lot of expertise in that area.”
Commissioner Moyer asked what VerGow hoped to accomplish in his first six to 12 months. VerGow said his first priority will be listening and learning from staff, leaders and partners to understand how things are working now and what can be improved.
“I’m coming in as an outsider,” he said. “I don’t expect all that experience to translate directly. I want to make sure, before I propose any changes, that they are based on a clear understanding of the specific issues of Multnomah County.”
VerGow said he wanted to build upon recent work to enhance the Homeless Services Department’s data system, while also aligning and standardizing services provided to people in permanent supportive housing.
Commissioner Singleton said she felt hesitant to approve a new department director when a new Multnomah County Chair will be chosen by voters later in 2026.
“This is a really challenging time to appoint a new permanent director when the direction of the new chair may look very different from the current direction. So for that, and for that alone, I may be a ‘no’ vote today,” she said. “I sat in your seat almost four years ago being appointed as an interim director because of the same situation, when there was a vacancy while there was also about to be turnover.
“I appreciate the process and the work that you do. I just continue to feel like it’s not the right time for a permanent appointment, considering all of the other dynamics going on.”
Chair Vega Pederson took a moment to recognize the work of Anna Plumb, who stepped in as interim director in June 2025 after then-Director Dan Field retired. When VerGow assumes his role as permanent director of the department, Plumb will return to her role as deputy director.
“Anna has been filling in for nearly a year now. The expertise, compassion and steady leadership she has given have been invaluable for the County, the community and the work that we’re doing,” she said. “I’m really pleased that she is staying in the department in the deputy position where she can continue to reinforce the County’s commitment to reduce homelessness through compassion and data-driven strategies.”
Chair Vega Pederson also reiterated her support for VerGow’s appointment. “One of the things that struck me when talking to you was that you really understood the importance of that system – a system that really works to meet people where they are, to be data-driven, and ultimately to have the impacts we want to have and the community expects us to have.”