The former Oregon Governor to serve out remainder of Robert Liberty’s term
Today the Metro Council appointed former Oregon Gov. Barbara Roberts to serve as Metro Councilor for District 6, filling the vacancy left by the Jan. 15 resignation of Robert Liberty.
Newly appointed Councilor Barbara Roberts is congratulated by Metro President Tom Hughes.
Roberts served as Governor from 1991 to 1995 and as Oregon Secretary of State from 1985 to 1991. She also served in the Oregon House of Representatives, as a Multnomah County Commissioner and on the Parkrose School Board. Since leaving public office, she has served in leadership positions at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and in the Executive Leadership Institute at Portland State University’s Hatfield School of Government.
The Metro Council solicited applications for the vacant position through Feb. 9. Eight people applied for this position, though two applicants, Martha Dibblee and Bob Stacey, withdrew their applications this week.
Roberts and the other five applicants were interviewed by the Metro Council Wednesday night in a public meeting in East Portland. Members of the public also took the opportunity to speak on behalf of individual applicants and discuss the appointment process.
In addition to Roberts, the other applicants interviewed by the Metro Council were:
- Kenny Heggem, a sales representative with Columbia Northwest Heating and board member of the Woodstock Neighborhood Association.
- Jonathan Levine, a former project manager with the University of Western States.
- Walt Nichols, a bookkeeper with Watson Plumbing Co. and chair of the Mt. Scott-Arleta Neighborhood Association.
- Alesia Reese, a clerk with the U.S. Postal Service and member of the Parkrose School District board. She is also chair of the Woodland Park Neighborhood Association and the East Portland Parks Coalition.
- Bob Shiprack, a labor relations consultant for Pac/West Communications and a former executive secretary of the Oregon State Building Trades Council. He served six terms in the Oregon House of Representatives from 1983 to 1995.
Roberts will be sworn in next week. She may serve the remainder of Liberty’s term, which ends in January 2013. An election for a four-year term will be held in May 2012, and if no candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote, the two highest vote winners will advance to a run-off election the following November.
Metro District 6 includes portions of Southwest, Southeast and Northeast Portland.