May 13 2020 29 mins 1
Sam Adams - May 8, 2020 Portland Conversations
Jason Allen interviews Sam Adams who is a city of Portland, Oregon candidate for Commissioner, Position #4 in 2020.
"As a kid, Sam grew up in the small coastal town of Newport, Oregon. The local economy was in transition: so many trees had been cut down that the logging industry had mostly collapsed. Sam’s father, Larry, a special education teacher, also worked as a commercial fisherman to make ends meet. But overfishing depleted that line of work. Sam’s father struggled with addiction issues. After his parent's divorce, Sam’s mother, Kara, became a single mom of four teenaged kids. With the help of public student family housing and food stamps, Kara obtained a college education.
Sam Adams has worked as a county government intern, congressional aide, a campaign manager, mayoral chief of staff, a member of the city council, a Portland mayor, a nonprofit executive director, an environmental think tank leader of a global organization, a columnist, and a consultant. All this work has been dedicated to a common theme: making communities more educated, healthy, sustainable, prosperous and equitable for all.
I’m running for Portland City Council, Position No. 4 because Portland deserves a City Commissioner who can bring a renewed sense of energy, compassion, and purpose to City Hall. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic arrived at our doors steps, our city was at a critical point - too many feel we are losing opportunities to tackle our most urgent challenges.
Now, more than ever, it’s time for a leader with a proven track record of bringing Portlanders together to get the tough stuff done. You know me as someone who not only shares your progressive values but can deliver results in the service of a holistic agenda to benefit all Portlanders. I’m dedicated to continuing to serve all of Portland, the city we love."
