“Crossing the great divide of the Hudson River, my wife Susanne and I embarked on a new adventure moving to the wild west of Portland, Oregon. Having been born and raised in New York, I never thought I would leave the city I loved to another one that I fell in love with, despite there not being the covered wagons I expected to see.”
Crossing the great divide of the Hudson River, my wife Susanne and I embarked on a new adventure moving to the wild west of Portland, Oregon. Having been born and raised in New York, I never thought I would leave the city I loved to another one that I fell in love with, despite there not being the covered wagons I expected to see.
It’s nearly 21 years since that move, and things have gone from the euphoria of everything Portland had to offer to our city of today that is reminiscent of the dark days of New York I experienced years ago. Happily, New York had a renaissance and so will we – but it will take a lot of hard work and tough, honest leadership. As a graduate civil engineer with a master’s degree in urban planning, I look at the world systematically and holistically, and I am action oriented. I want to do all I can to help build a better Portland for everyone, including my three daughters and six grandchildren who call Portland their home.
When arriving here, I immediately embraced the city, and the city embraced me. I was awed by the culture of Portland which in some ways was similar to New York, but in a more casual, comfortable and convivial way. Having been fortunate to meet many people, it didn’t take long to become involved in volunteer and advocacy work.
I have a long history of engagement in many aspects of civic life from my time as a volunteer firefighter and Chair of a fire district board in suburban New York to forming a coalition for the preservation of open space, also in New York. Here in Portland I have served in a broad range of capacities including the arts, neighborhood associations, urban planning, homelessness and public safety.
Champion of Neighborhood Livability.
In my many years leading the Pearl District Neighborhood Association, we have established numerous successful programs that serve as models for other neighborhoods across the city. I have also fought for protecting our renowned neighborhood system from attempts to dismantle it in recent years.
Leader in The Arts
I was Co-founder of Oregon artPAC advocating for public funding of the arts. I also served on the Portland Center Stage Board, chaired Oregon Children’s Theatre and was a founding director of Boom Arts and Former Board Member of the Creative Advocacy Coalition. After the passage of the Arts Education and Access Fund in 2015, I was appointed as the first Chair of the Arts Oversight Committee where I helped get the program off the ground and served for four years. As a result of my arts and other activities, the City of Portland acknowledged my work with a proclamation declaring a “Stan Penkin Day.”
Civic Engagement
I worked with the city’s Bureau of Planning and Sustainability as a seven year member of the Community Involvement Committee developing the Portland Plan and the Comprehensive Plan. I also was a four year member of the Bureau Advisory Committee for the Office of Civic Life and have advised on other matters. As president of the Portland Public Safety Action Coalition we helped to educate the public and advocated for policies to improve public safety across the city.
Innovator Around Housing and Homelessness
In these challenging times of limited city resources, I am a founding director of the nonprofit Northwest Community Conservancy that is providing humanitarian and security services in the Pearl District with the greater goal of expanding this successful program across other parts of the city. I am especially proud to be the founding Co-chair of the nonprofit HomeShare Oregon where we connect homeowners who have spare rooms but are mortgage burdened and at risk of losing their homes - and often isolated and lonely – with low wage earners seeking an affordable place to live and who are often a paycheck away from homelessness. We are preventing homelessness before it starts.
Climate Justice
On the environmental side, I have been a supporter of environmental initiatives and after six years of advocacy, finally have an ordinance coming to City Council in March to ban harmful gas leaf blowers and transition to electric.
I have worked hard for the city I love for nearly 20 years, but in recent times even more than ever to help save it. I am now ready to bring my vast experience and ability to get things done to a different level where I can help set the stage for a better future. It will take the government, communities and the private sector working together for that future. Please join me.
Thank you for your support ~
