Commissioner Barbara Willer has served as the interim commissioner for District 2 since April 1, 2010 when previous District 2 Commissioner Jeff Cogen was appointed County Chair. The Board of Commissioners is dedicating December 23, 2010 to recognizing Willer’s contributions to the county and the board.
The proclamation submitted by Commissioner Shiprack highlights Willer’s “quick wit and readily available laughter,” as well as her “humanity, accessibility, wisdom, experience and vision.”
During her short tenure as a commissioner, Willer led many projects, including Multnomah County’s Take Back the Tap program which banned the use of county funds for bottled water. Willer’s office also hosted two “Cat-Stravaganza” events that provided education and training for potential foster parents of cats and kittens. In an exhibition of her dedication to Multnomah County Animal Services, Willer also adopted a cat named Stella at MCAS’ Toga Party this year.
Willer participated in Portland Pride 2010 in July and also supported Commissioner Diane McKeel’s efforts to raise awareness of human trafficking this year. In October, Willer was a guest on Oregon Public Broadcasting’s “Think Out Loud,” during which she spoke about Multnomah County’s faith initiative and the relationship between religion and government. The faith initiative, which Willer spearheaded along with Commissioner Deborah Kafoury aims to create successful partnerships between communities of faith and government.
Before being appointed commissioner of District 2, Willer served former County Chair Ted Wheeler as his chief of staff. She has over 35 years of experience working with non-profits and government, including serving on the boards of People’s Food Store, Housing Our Families, the National Congress of Neighborhood Women, and REACH Community Development Corporation. She helped build the Portland Schools Alliance, a community-based organization that aims to improve Portland schools in low-income communities. Willer is currently the chair of the board of Namaste, an associate member of the Sisters of Holy Names, and a member of St. Andrews Catholic Church in Northeast Portland.
December 22, 2010