City Life Committee to hear from Labor, Business, Sustainability, Arts, and Other Leaders at first meeting

As Portland City Council launches its new committee structure, the City Life Committee will bring more than a dozen local leaders in economic development, labor, small business, sustainability, arts, community resilience and more to the table to kick off its first meeting. The committee, chaired by Councilor Elana Pirtle-Guiney, convenes for the first time on Tuesday, April 14, at 2 p.m.

City Life's focus is on shaping the day-to-day lived experience of Portlanders, including where we work, how we play, and what the future of our city looks like. It combines portions of the scope of work of three committees that operated last year: Arts & Economy; Labor & Workforce Development; and Climate, Resilience, and Land Use, and will take up conversations about the future of the Moda Center, P5 arts venues, and other large-scale economic drivers of our community.

Tasked with such an expansive assignment, City Life will level-set at its first meeting by hearing from a panel of Portland's community leaders, including Portland Metro Chamber President and CEO Andrew Hoan, Portland State University labor and industrial relations economist and former Economics Department Chair Mary King, For All Families Oregon Deputy Director of Movement Building Courtney Veronneau, and former Oregon Arts Commission Chair Subashini Ganesan-Forbes, who will discuss the future of Portland's economy and jobs in our community, building community resilience, and the experience of people who live and visit here, laying the foundation for the ongoing work of this committee.

Additional members of the City Life Committee are Vice Chair Eric Zimmerman, Councilor Candace Avalos, Councilor Angelita Morillo, and Councilor Dan Ryan. The City Life Committee will meet regularly on alternating Tuesdays for 3-hour blocks. Details about upcoming meetings can be found at portland.gov/auditor/council-clerk/events.