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Q&A with Veronica Valenzuela, Policy Advisor, METRO
What is your primary charge at METRO?
The Metro Councilor positions are part-time and represent 6 districts, except for the president who is full time and is elected at large. I work directly for the Metro COO. However my primary charge is to support the policy agenda of two of the Metro Councilors, Carl Hosticka and Kathryn Harrington both of whom largely represent Washington County and a small piece of Clackamas county. Since they are part-time, they are not in the office five days a week and often spend their time working in their districts, so it is my responsibility to be up to speed on what is happening with their initiatives and act as a facilitator of their agenda with Metro staff and outside regional partners.
It can be difficult to describe concretely to folks who are not familiar with Metro what exactly it is that I do, but basically I am a policy advisor. It is important that I fully understand the councilors policy priorities in order to be able to speak on their behalf or to help keep things moving along in their absence. It is also important that I understand the Metro agency’s priorities and initiatives since I work with regional partners in Washington, Clackamas and Multnomah counties and the 25 cities included in them.
Knowing the important regional work we do at Metro is positively impacting the lives of people in our communities. Even though the work at Metro can be very technical, it is also some of the most important policy work that goes unnoticed by many people because they are busy living their lives, working, raising families or other important things. But Metro is largely responsible, with our regional partners for the quality of life that many in Portland and surrounding communities value so much. The compactness of some neighborhoods, the intentional transportation & transit planning, the implementation of the Urban Growth Boundary and preservation of sensitive natural areas and vital farmland which contributes to our access of local, fresh, sustainable food. This truly is one of the best places to live in the country and I enjoy going to work every day knowing I get to contribute to building on these successes.
Why did you decide to embark on work that focuses on policy issues?
I love Portland and I love living here. I’ve been in Portland for 10 years but grew up in Salem. I moved to Portland to go to college and just fell in love with my city and wanted to find a career where I am working to make my community better. My intention was to go to graduate school in social work but instead after undergrad, I was really fortunate to find my way into the mayor’s office as an assistant to policy managers on issues ranging from public safety, planning & land use and the environment. I loved working on issues that were important to the community I live in and the feel that in some ways this policy work is as impactful the work I would be doing in into social work.
What were some of the most important takeaways from your work in city government and public policy?
People expect a lot from government and I don’t think that is bad. However, one important takeway I took from my time in Mayor Potter’s office is that the work of making our community better is not just the job or responsibility of government. I think government plays a large role in providing access to opportunities and other things, but I believe it is also the job and responsibility of community members to work with government and other partners toward making our community more livable, sustainable, fair and just. A second important take away for me is that everyone’s contributions are needed either by being aware of what your local government is working on, or attending community meetings, volunteering, sitting on commissions, working on campaigns, there are so many ways to be involved that anyone should feel welcome to find where they fit in. I think sometimes people see government as separate from their lives instead of being a partner.
What has been some of the most important lessons learned from your experience?
That I can be engaged in my community and government is a partner. Growing up, for a number of reasons, my family was not actively engaged in what was happening in the local community. They are pretty involved in their church and in some ways are impacting their community. It wasn’t until I moved to Portland that I began to see how people find their communities or intentionally create communities and that was new to me. Working in Mayor Potter’s office helped me to see how community and government can work together instead of being separate areas of life.
How does your work impact communities of color?
As the regional convener on planning, land use, transportation, conservation, preservation and other issues, Metro inevitably impacts communities of color. I am new to Metro and have been here just over six months. Right now I am trying to get familiar with all that Metro does and one thing I am trying to understand more is how the policy work that I do and that Metro does relates to what is important to communities of color. It is a tough question to answer in that Metro believes strongly in the model that as the regional convener we rely heavily on our 25 cities and 3 counties to tell us what their communities needs and priorities are. I get that and appreciate this model. But I am not sure how our partners (cities and counties) engage communities of color for example in Washington County with the fastest growing Hispanic population in the state. I hear a lot about how our partners are engaging our business, development and environmental communities but I don’t hear much about how communities of color or underrepresented communities are engaged, contacted, and communicated with. I’ve had conversations with our COO, councilors, department directors and staff about how we engage communities of color, or how our work impacts communities of color, and there is openness to discussing this issue from the COO throughout the agency. I am excited about that and look forward to making it clearer.
How does your cultural heritage impact the way you lead?
I am a Mexican American but I was raised in Salem, Oregon at a time when there where not many people of color in my schools and definitely not in my neighborhood. I also don’t come from a traditional Mexican family, I wasn’t raised Catholic but in a very white, protestant religion where ethnic cultural traditions are not only ignored but sometimes considered wrong, so it is hard for me to see some times where my cultural heritage impacts the way I lead. People who know me would say I lead in quiet manner. I am an observer of people and try to learn from others successes and mistakes, in some ways I am probably too cautious. But I think I am good listener, I care about other people and what is important to them and think these are important qualities in a good leader.
In your current role, what do you see as the most challenging aspect of your work?
Explaining what Metro does and it’s role in the community. People who know Metro and work with Metro understand how important their role is as regional government. Metro coordinates conversations on issues of regional importance that cross jurisdictional boundaries. Most people think of Metro when discussing protection of open spaces, caring for regional parks, planning for the best use of land, transportation choices, managing garbage disposal and increasing recycling.
Spring 2009 Colors of Influence
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