City Club of Portland

The U.S. Attorney for Oregon is in an interesting position right now. Marijuana is still illegal at the federal level and the Trump administration is not happy with Oregon's assertion that it is a "sanctuary state" for immigrants. How is Billy Williams navigating these political and legal thickets and how does he view his role as a federal law enforcement officer in a state that's often at odds with the White House? 

Join us as we welcome Billy Williams to the Friday Forum stage. He'll talk about his priorities in Oregon and will have a conversation with Nkenge Harmon Johnson about the federal government's approach to law enforcement and the criminal justice system.

Billy J. Williams has been the U.S. Attorney and the chief federal law enforcement official in Oregon since May 2015. He is an 18-year veteran of the Department of Justice and has held multiple leadership positions including First Assistant U.S. Attorney, Chief of the Criminal Division, Chief of the Violent Crimes Unit, and as the district’s Indian Country Assistant U.S. Attorney and Tribal Liaison.

Williams has served on a number of Attorney General Advisory Subcommittees. He is currently appointed to serve on the following subcommittees and working groups: Native American Issues Subcommittee, Civil Rights Subcommittee, Border & Immigration Subcommittee, Domestic Terrorism Executive Committee, and the Marijuana Issues Working Group. Williams is a member of the Ninth Circuit Fairness Committee and the District of Oregon Implicit Bias Steering Committee.
 

Nkenge Harmon Johnson is the president and CEO of the Urban League of Portland. An attorney by training, Ms. Johnson has served as a strategic staff member in communications, campaigns, constituency outreach and legislative matters for U. S. Congresswoman Shelia Jackson Lee (D-Texas); U.S. Senator Harry Reid (D-Nevada); U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-Michigan); and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. From 2010 to 2013, she took on an important responsibility for President Barak Obama’s administration as a deputy assistant United States Trade Representative with national and international public affairs responsibilities focused on the Americas and China. Here in Oregon, Harmon Johnson served as communications director under Governor Kitzhaber.

Raised in Northeast Portland and Salem, a product of the famed Catlin Gabel School and Harriett Tubman Middle School, Harmon Johnson received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Florida A & M University, and a Master of Business Administration from Trinity University in Washington, DC. She earned her Juris Doctorate from Howard University School of Law. Harmon Johnson is a member of the Oregon State Bar and the District of Columbia Bar.

 

Appointed by Mayor Ted Wheeler, Danielle Outlaw was sworn in on October 2, 2017 as the 48th Chief of Police for the Portland Police Bureau, the first African-American woman to serve in the position. A champion of community policing, the hiring of Chief Outlaw gives some Portlanders hope that the city will accelerate its commitment to improving outcomes for all residents—especially people of color and those with mental illnesses.

Join us as Chief Outlaw shares her experience, expertise, and reflections as a young officer rising through the ranks of the Oakland Police Department, her brief tenure as the first African-American female to lead the Portland Police Bureau, and her plans to make a difference in our community. 

Doors open at 11:30 a.m.

Chief Danielle Outlaw was sworn in as Chief of Police for the Portland Police Bureau on October 2, 2017. She began her career with the Oakland Police Department as an Oakland Police Explorer. As she rose through the ranks to Deputy Chief, she worked in various assignments throughout the Oakland Police Department, including Patrol, Community Services, the Office of Chief of Police, the Criminal Investigation Division, Internal Affairs and the Office of Inspector General.

During her tenure as Deputy Chief, she led the Bureau of Risk Management, Bureau of Field Operations – Two and the Bureau of Services. Outlaw has presented on various topics including Race and Policing, Women in Law Enforcement, Deescalation and Investigation of Use of Force, Building Community Relationships after Controversy, Video Recording in Policing and Early Intervention Systems, and has been asked to provide technical assistance in areas of police accountability and risk management.

Chief Outlaw is the recipient of the Oakland Black Officers’ Association Trailblazer Award, the Holy Names High School Alumnae Association Citation for Service and the 2015 Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) Gary P. Hayes Award.

She has served as the Vice President of the San Francisco Bay Area National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE) Chapter, and is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Human and Civil Rights Committee.

She also demonstrates civic advocacy through Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. Deputy Chief Outlaw earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the University of San Francisco and a Master of Business Administration from Pepperdine University. She is also a graduate of the Police Executive Research Forum Senior Management Institute for Police and the Major Cities Chiefs’ Association Police Executive Leadership Institute.

Joseph Wahl is the founder of Wahl and Associates, a consulting firm that helps organizations become more diverse, equitable, and inclusive. Joe brings deep experience and expertise assisting organizations with executive recruiting, leadership, and organizational development. He led the City of Portland’s national search for a new Police Chief, which resulted in the historic hiring of Chief Outlaw. Previously, Joe was the Assistant Director for Portland's Office of Equity & Human Rights, was one of the founders of Partners in Diversity, was President of the Portland Japanese American Citizens League, was President of the Oregon Buddhist Temple, and is a founding board member of the Oregon Nikkei Endowment. He was recently elected to the University of Oregon’s Alumni Board.