City of Portland announces Jamie Evans-Butler to lead the Office of Violence Prevention

The City of Portland's Office of Violence Prevention (OVP) is pleased to announce the hiring of Jamie Evans-Butler as its next Program Manager, following a highly competitive recruitment process that drew more than 120 applicants from across the country. A diverse panel of professional and community stakeholders conducted a rigorous, multi-stage evaluation, ultimately selecting Evans-Butler for his exceptional record of community-centered violence prevention leadership.

Evans-Butler brings over 15 years of experience leading violence prevention, conflict mitigation, and community safety programs in partnership with local communities, government institutions, and grassroots organizations. Most recently serving as a Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), he has led large-scale, community-driven initiatives in Latin America, Africa, Eastern Europe, and the United States-always with a focus on collaboration, trust-building, and the long-term resilience of the communities he serves.

Throughout his career, Evans-Butler has worked to build community and government partnerships to co-design solutions to violence and strengthen local safety ecosystems. He has overseen multimillion-dollar program portfolios, led multidisciplinary teams, and developed data-driven assessment and evaluation frameworks to measure community impact.

"Jamie's experience is strongly aligned with Portland's violence reduction strategies and will bring a systems perspective that will strengthen OVP for many years to come," said Stephanie Howard, the Director of Community Safety. "His leadership will bolster Portland's community-centered strategies to prevent violence and support safer neighborhoods."

Evans-Butler will begin his role as Program Manager on January 15, 2026.

"I'm honored to be joining the Office of Violence Prevention to lead its vital efforts to reduce gun violence and build safer, more resilient communities for the City of Portland," said Evans-Butler. "I look forward to joining the team in January and partnering with residents, community leaders and other key stakeholders to build on OVP's strong foundation of programs and initiatives to improve community safety."

The City of Portland's Office of Violence Prevention works to reduce the impacts of violence and strengthen community safety by supporting local partnerships, developing evidence-informed programs, and elevating community voices in shaping solutions that promote healing, stability, and long-term resilience.