Inside Washington County with Rob Solomon

Elizabeth Furse is a former member of the United States Congress from Oregon's First District. She served three terms from 1992 to 1998. Since 1998 she has worked with national tribal leaders to establish the Institute for Tribal Government in the Mark O. Hatfield School of Government at Portland State University. She was also a co-founder of the National Coalition to Support Indian Treaties (1970-78), the Director of the tribal restoration project for the Native American Program at Oregon Legal Services (1980-86), and the Founder and Director of the Oregon Peace Institute (1986-91). During her tenure in the U.S. Congress, Ms. Furse served on the Merchant Marine & Fisheries, Banking, and Armed Services Committees.

This week's interview is Part 2 on Affordable Housing and Homelessness. Bringing their experience to the conversation are Cole Merkel, Cadence Petros, and Nathan Teske.

Cole Merkel is the Deputy Director of Outreach and Engagement at Here Together, a Portland-based nonprofit that helps find solutions for the systemic crises of homelessness, including issues of housing affordability and equity. He previously served as the vendor program director for Street Roots, a weekly street newspaper that assists people experiencing homelessness by offering them paid work for distributing the paper.

Cadence Petros is the Development Division manager for the City of Beaverton. Her department oversees the development of affordable housing projects within Beaverton. She has served the City of Beaverton for seven years, first working as Assistant City Attorney before progressing to her current role in the Development Division. Previously, Petros served as a general counsel for the Mercy Corps.

Nathan Teske is the Executive Director of Bienestar, a Washington County-based nonprofit that provides affordable housing for primarily Latinx residents of Washington County. He has over 15 years of experience improving outcomes for immigrant and low-income communities. His experience ranges from fund development for complex commercial projects to creating and managing new economic and social programs not found anywhere else in Oregon.

This week's interview is Part 1 on Affordable Housing and Homelessness. Bringing their experience to the conversation are Cole Merkel, Cadence Petros, and Nathan Teske.

Cole Merkel is the Deputy Director of Outreach and Engagement at Here Together, a Portland-based nonprofit that helps find solutions for the systemic crises of homelessness, including issues of housing affordability and equity. He previously served as the vendor program director for Street Roots, a weekly street newspaper that assists people experiencing homelessness by offering them paid work for distributing the paper.

Cadence Petros is the Development Division manager for the City of Beaverton. Her department oversees the development of affordable housing projects within Beaverton. She has served the City of Beaverton for seven years, first working as Assistant City Attorney before progressing to her current role in the Development Division. Previously, Petros served as a general counsel for the Mercy Corps.

Nathan Teske is the Executive Director of Bienestar, a Washington County-based nonprofit that provides affordable housing for primarily Latinx residents of Washington County. He has over 15 years of experience improving outcomes for immigrant and low-income communities. His experience ranges from fund development for complex commercial projects to creating and managing new economic and social programs not found anywhere else in Oregon.

With controversial topics, Inside Washington County makes every effort to include multiple points of view. If you think we've missed something, let us know.

Hilary Uhlig is the Oregon Chapter Leader for Moms Demand Action, a grassroots movement of Americans fighting for public safety measures that can protect people from gun violence. Moms Demand Action strives to pass stronger gun laws and work to close the loopholes that jeopardize the safety of our families. They also work in our own communities and with business leaders to encourage a culture of responsible gun ownership.

Moms Demand Action has established a chapter in every state of the country and Washington, D.C. and, along with Mayors Against Illegal Guns, Students Demand Action and the Everytown Survivor Network, it is part of Everytown for Gun Safety, the largest gun violence prevention organization in the country with nearly 6 million supporters and more than 350,000 donors.

Maria Caballero Rubio is Executive Director of Centro Cultural de Washington County, a nonprofit that delivers workforce, business, and youth development services for low income and Latino residents in Washington County. Maria came to Hillsboro and Washington County in 1969 with her migrant farmworker family from Sonoma County, California. Her career includes 30 years in local, state, and federal government service primarily in public safety.

She was a Policy Analyst at the US Department of Justice during part of the Clinton and Bush administrations overseeing 35 community policing institutes based at universities across the country designed to bridge the gap between communities and police. Other jobs include Executive Director of the Institute on Community Policing at Western Oregon University, Policy Director for Public Safety for Portland mayor Tom Potter, and Vice-President of Equity and Inclusion at United Way of the Columbia-Willamette in Portland, Oregon. Her career has focused on systems change and organizational learning.

Join host Rob Solomon and producer Rick Paulson for an informal analysis of the results from the May 19, 2020 Primary Election.

* How did the COVID-19 pandemic affect the campaigns, the voter turnout, and the results?

* Beaverton voters had three choices for mayor, including incumbent Mayor Denny Doyle. At the same time, the role of the mayor in city government was on the ballot as one of the proposed changes to the city charter. What issues did these choices present?

* Washington County voters approved all of the tax-related bond measures. Was it a surprise to see all five measures pass while the economy is struggling under the effects of the pandemic?

* Campaign finance reform is headed for the November ballot. How should voters respond to this change to the Oregon State Constitution?

Tune in to hear Rob's answers to these questions and others.

Since Jason became a lawyer in 2009, he has participated in nearly 50 jury trials. He has more civil trial experience than any other Oregon lawyer of his generation. Jason works collaboratively with the other trial attorneys to prepare and try major cases. He also works with clients and insurance companies to get cases resolved before trial. Jason is active in the Honest Elections Oregon organization, a movement that supports campaign finance reform in Oregon.

Jason’s legal experience includes working for the Environmental Law Foundation in Oakland, where he helped draft a strategic plan to protect and expand California’s Public Trust Doctrine. As a summer associate at Lerach Coughlin Stoia Geller Rudman & Robbins in San Diego, Jason worked extensively on a consumer class action against Capital One credit cards for targeting and defrauding low-income citizens.

Juan Carlos González joined the Metro Council in 2019, representing the northern urban areas of Washington County on the Metro Council, including Hillsboro, Bethany, Aloha, Bonny Slope, Raleigh Hills, West Slope, Cedar Mill and Cedar Hills, Beaverton, Cornelius and Forest Grove.

Born in Forest Grove, raised in Cornelius, and now living in Hillsboro, Juan Carlos is a first-generation American who has dedicated his life to giving back to the communities that have given so much to him. Juan Carlos graduated as a valedictorian at Forest Grove High School and earned a degree in economics and government from Georgetown University.

After college, Juan Carlos returned to Washington County to join Centro Cultural de Washington County, a nonprofit that works with local Latino families to create self-sufficient and engaged citizens. Today he is the organization’s director of development and communications, leading the work to secure the $1.7 million annual budget that provides for innovative youth STEM programs, workforce development services, and civic leadership and advocacy initiatives in the community.

This week is the fourth virtual debate with candidates in the Washington County Primary Election on May 19. The candidates include Denny Doyle, Lacey Beaty, and Cate Arnold, all running for Beaverton Mayor.

This week is the third of four virtual debates with candidates in the Washington County Primary Election on May 19. The candidates include Nafisa Fai, Jeff Hindley, and Manuel Castaneda, all running for Washington County Commissioner District 1.