“Deciding the Future of Portland’s Government” - Dr. Melanie Billings-Yun
In December 2020, the Portland City Council convened an independent Charter Commission to review and recommend amendments to the City of Portland Charter (City's Constitution). After a year and a half of research and public listening sessions, on June 14, 2022, the Charter Commission resoundingly approved a proposal significantly changing Portland’s form of government and method of electing representatives. On the November 2022 ballot, voters in the City of Portland will get to decide whether or not to pass this amendment. As part of our Social Justice Speaker Series on the Health of Our Democracy, Dr. Melanie Billings-Yun will share with us some of her insights and experience in working on this project.
Dr. Melanie Billings-Yun (PhD, Harvard) is past co-chair of the Portland Charter Review Commission. Professionally, she is an international negotiation consultant and professor, having taught for 16 years at Portland State University, as well as at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, Georgetown University, and colleges overseas. The author of Beyond Dealmaking: Five Steps to Negotiating Profitable Relationships, Melanie has worked throughout Asia, North America, Europe and the Middle East, to help organizations and individuals resolve disputes and build more cooperative relations. For her work in bridging cultural differences, she was awarded the 2020 Simon Benson Alumni Achievement Award.