PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – After a year-long process spent searching for a new director of the Joint Office of Homeless Services, Multnomah County officials announced Wednesday that they’ve found a candidate to fill the role and lead the county in addressing one of its greatest challenges.
Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson and Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler shared the news at a press conference and said Dan Field, a former Kaiser Permanente executive, will be named director. He’ll oversee the office that provides shelter, rent assistance and other support to people experiencing homelessness in Portland and Multnomah County.
“Dan is a leader with a track record of collaboration, partnership and accomplishment, and that’s exactly what’s needed for this moment. I know Dan shares my sense of urgency and I’m confident he will drive accountability and improved results,” Vega Pederson said.
The county began recruiting for a permanent director in the fall of 2022, after former Director Marc Jolin left the position in March 2022 and his interim replacement Shannon Singleton stepped down in November 2022.
County and city officials said Field stood out among the 48 candidates who applied for the position due to his extensive experience finding solutions to some of Oregon’s most complex problems.
During his nearly two decades working for Kaiser Permanente, Field helped found Health Share of Oregon, a collaboration between local health care systems and Multnomah, Clackamas and Washington Counties that coordinates health care for 400,000 local residents on the Oregon Health Plan.
He also negotiated an $800 million funding package to provide insurance to more than 100,000 children through the Oregon Healthy Kids Program.
In 2020, officials say he sponsored projects aimed at reversing systemic racial injustices, including creating the Kaiser Center for Black Health and Wellness, which is scheduled to open later in 2023.
In 2021, he helped launch a mass COVID-19 vaccination clinic at the Oregon Convention Center.
Outside his work with Kaiser Permanente, Field formerly served as a staffer for former Gov. John Kitzhaber when he was Oregon Senate president and as chief of staff for former Portland Mayor Vera Katz when she was speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives.
City and county leaders hope he’ll bring his negotiation and partnership-building skills to the new director position.
For the hiring process, the county formed a stakeholder group including Joint Office of Homeless Services staff, community advocates, regional partners, business leaders, elected officials and coalition groups to share what skills and experience they valued in a director.
Mayor Wheeler said throughout the interview process, Field demonstrated a strong commitment to helping local authorities solve the homeless crisis.
“He has extensive experience that I believe will serve him well in this position,” Wheeler said.
Field moved to Oregon when he was 17 to attend Willamette University where he received his bachelor’s degree in political science. He received a law degree from the University of Oregon School of Law.
“I am looking forward to returning to public service. I love our community — Multnomah County, the City of Portland, and the beautiful cities that make up our region — and see so much potential in the Joint Office and in our community to reach local solutions. This is my opportunity to focus on good policy that features connections across the broad spectrum of stakeholders whose ideas and investments are needed to build the strongest and most responsive housing safety net we can,” Field said.
The Joint Office of Homeless Services Deputy Director Joshua Bates has been leading the office since November 2022. He will remain in his deputy director role and will work alongside Field.
The Multnomah County Board of Commissioners must approve Field’s appointment. After that, Field will begin overseeing the Joint Office of Homeless Services’ $255 million budget and 95 employees on April 28.