ABOUT SERENA

Governance, Not Politics

North and Northeast Portland deserve a Board that governs effectively, collaboratively, and with real compassion. A board that sets clear policy direction and sticks to it, matching the county's spending to the outcomes you can actually see in your neighborhood: one that gets vulnerable neighbors the integrated shelter, treatment and housing to get them the stability they need, gives every child a real start through Preschool for All, and one that backs the investment that produces family-wage jobs in neighborhoods that are too often left out.

We need a local government that builds strong partnerships across the city, the region, and the state instead of pointing fingers. I am running to hold this institution accountable for tangible results, rather than trying to manage day-to-day operations from behind a dais. Having governed this county as a commissioner and run it from the inside as COO, I know exactly where the levers are, how budgets become outcomes, and the profound difference between criticizing a problem and fixing it. That is the operational discipline I want to get back to.

Leadership That Backs the Frontlines

I believe deeply in this county, in the vital role it plays for vulnerable neighbors, and in the dedicated workforce that delivers its services. County employees are some of the hardest-working people you will ever meet. As Chief Operating Officer, I saw them step up in every regional crisis—pulling long shifts at emergency shelters, delivering food to quarantined families, and volunteering their own time to keep our community safe.

The public rarely hears about the quiet heroism happening inside our county every day. No one hears about the recording clerk who hand-delivered a marriage license to a couple in hospice care, the code enforcement officer cleaning up a roadside dump, or the top-tier medical graduate choosing a career at a local county health clinic. I saw those stories every day. They deserve leadership that respects their expertise and establishes clear, streamlined policies that make their work easier and more connected. I am committed to giving our workforce the structural support they need to be successful on the front lines.

A Personal Bottom Line

I don't come to this fight alone. Lifelong friends, neighbors, and colleagues are stepping up beside me, including my partner, Bill, whose own lifetime of public service in the U.S. Navy and at Metro regional government I have long admired.

And my bottom line is personal. My daughter just finished her first year of college and faces a very uncertain future. And frankly, I’m ready to fight for my daughter and the future of all our young people threatened by economic upheaval and climate crisis. I want every young person to step into a community that lives its values and prioritizes its future. Ours must be a community where living-wage jobs are plentiful, families can afford to stay, kids get the equitable start they need, and public services work seamlessly for the people who need them most.

I love this County and am confident I can lead it well. I'd be honored to have your support.

To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key.

DONATE

Every donation counts! Help us cross the finish line and create the change you want to see.

Every dollar you invest in this campaign has the potential to turn into real, tangible outcomes for our neighborhoods, from housing stability to our kids’ successful future. Your contribution builds our grassroots movement and powers the independent, effective leadership North and Northeast Portland deserve.

EARLY LIFE

From Lived Experience to Structural Change I have loved Multnomah County since the day I arrived. Moving here to attend Lewis & Clark College was a massive leap for an 18-year-old from a working-class family who had never even been on an airplane. Forty years later, I cannot imagine living or fighting anywhere else. My path to public service started with my own family’s struggle. My father was a bus driver, and my mother stayed at home until my parents divorced, upending our

IN OFFICE:1996-2006

A Track Record of Courage and Outcomes When I was elected to the County Board in 1998 at age 31 — the youngest woman and first Latina ever to serve on it — I took office fighting for access to healthcare, housing alongside services, and human rights. Instead of just managing the symptoms of regional crises, I focused on building long-term, structural solutions: Bridges to Housing: I launched Bridges to Housing, a landmark five-year initiative that integrated stable housing w

BUILDING, LEADING, AND LEARNING: 2007-2026

Building Community, Delivering Care Driven by a desire to expand affordable housing while protecting our environmental future, I co-founded Cityhouse Builders and Cityhouse Partners, with a focus on sustainably built affordable homes for first-time buyers. And, as if launching a small business wasn’t enough to do, I found myself issuing the first payroll the same week my daughter, Esperanza, was born. Partnering with the City of Portland and Proud Ground, we constructed Orego