Presented on January 30, 2009

Ted Wheeler, Multnomah County Chair

"On January 30, City Club welcomes Multnomah County Chair Ted Wheeler, who will discuss his plans to lead Multnomah County through tough economic times and foster a culture of innovation and accountability in a resource-constrained environment. Wheeler will discuss specific ways that Multnomah County is building productive coalitions with other governments, businesses and community organizations to address pressing local issues such as poverty, mental health, education and public safety. He will also suggest strategies to match shrinking resources with growing demand for services. Wheeler will briefly share his views on state tax reform, balancing the public safety system on a limited budget, improving the mental health system and supporting the needs of the most vulnerable citizens in our community. Before taking office in 2007, Wheeler worked for several financial services companies including the Bank of America and Copper Mountain Trust. He earned an MBA from Columbia University and a Masters in Public Policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. He served as a Lecturer in Political Science at Northeastern University and is the author of ""Government that Works: Innovation in State and Local Government."