TriMet board of directors
From Portland Afoot
TriMet's board of directors is a seven-member body appointed by Oregon's governor to set the direction and policy of TriMet and to manage its budget.
As of February 2012, the board included:
- Bruce Warner (west Washington County), appointed 2012 to replace Rick Van Beveren, who resigned. Term to expire Feb. 24, 2016. Warner, the board's president, is a regular TriMet rider, filling a requirement that at least one board member be.
- Tiffany Sweitzer (northwest Portland and parts of north Portland and southwest Portland). Term set to expire June 30, 2013.
- Steve Clark (outer southwest Portland, Tigard, King City and eastern Beaverton), appointed June 2010. Term set to expire May 31, 2014.
- Consuelo Saragoza (southeast Portland), appointed June 2010. Term set to expire June 30, 2014.
- T. Allen Bethel (northeast Portland), appointed March 2010. Term set to expire Feb. 28, 2014.
- Travis Stovall, (east Multnomah County), appointed 2012 to replace Lynn Lehrbach, who was not reappointed. Term to expire Feb. 24, 2016.
- Craig Prosser (Clackamas County), appointed December 2011 to fill the unexpired 2010 term of Hakeem Olanrewaju. Term set to expire Feb. 28, 2014.
Here's a map of the TriMet board's seven districts, as proposed in 2012. (New boundaries are outlined in red, old boundaries in yellow.)
Meetings
The board usually holds its primary meetings from 9 to 11:30 a.m. on the fourth Wednesday of every month, except August and December. Meetings typically take place either in the City of Portland offices at 1120 SW 5th Ave., Room C, in downtown Portland, or at the TriMet Administrative Offices at 4012 SE 17th Ave. in southeast Portland.
The board also holds briefings on the second Wednesday of most months, during which TriMet staff update board members about the agency's activities. Briefings typically do not include votes or public testimony.
Times, location and agenda are typically posted on the agency's website the week before each meeting.
Influence exercised by email
Although six of the board's seven members almost never cast dissenting votes -- the exception is Lynn Lehrbach -- President Rick Van Beveren said in June 2011 that board members shape the agency's policy outside of meetings.
"Each board member is independent and makes their own decisions and has a great deal of input prior to consideration of these things," Van Beveren said in response to a question by Al Margulies. "We're not rubber-stamping what management does. We're independent of management. We give input. A lot of the things you see when these things are modified are really the result of board member input prior to consideration."
After the meeting, Van Beveren added that though he couldn't speak for all board members, most of his own input happens via e-mail. Before and after every meeting, van Beveren said, he exchanges emails with General Manager Neil McFarlane discussing issues surrounding the agenda and testimony at the meeting. Other board members also receive their emails, Van Beveren said.
Van Beveren said he was proud of this routine, which he said was not in place before his time.
External links
Did you find this page useful? Could it get better? You're meeting Portland Afoot in its toddlerhood! You can help build this free online guide to low-car life in PDX by clicking "edit" in the right sidebar and adding what you know. Or just leave your questions or ideas below. Thanks for visiting!
