Community Engagement

Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) cares for and maintains more than 11,000 acres of lands and offers thousands of programs for all ages at its community centers, swimming pools, and other recreation facilities. It is a premier City of Portland Bureau that depends on a workforce of over 600 permanent employees, 1,500 part-time and seasonal employees, and over 6,000 volunteers. The Portland Parks Board provides support, advocacy, and guidance for the overall parks system.

The Portland Parks Board advocates for parks on a city and regional basis to ensure that parks, natural areas, open spaces, and recreation facilities are advanced in planning and design. The Parks Board provides a forum for public discussion about park issues and advises the PP&R bureau, bringing a citywide and long-term perspective.

Committee activities include: 

• Working with City Council, the Commissioner, and the Director, providing advice on policy matters pertaining to PP&R.
• Ensuring diversity, equity, and inclusion are central to PP&R’s initiatives and the bureau’s work.
• Reviewing and providing advice on the preparation and contents of the PP&R annual budget, and on long-term plans and policies.
• Attending PP&R events and celebrations and advocating for parks and recreation in other forums.
• Prepare and submit an annual report to the City Council which summarizes the Board’s activities during the year and identifies the major issues facing PP&R along with the Board’s recommendations for addressing them in the coming year

Total number of advisory seats: 15

Number of seats available: 2

To Qualify

To be eligible for the advisory committee, members must live, play, worship, go to school, work or do business in the City of Portland.

What We Look For

We want people from every part of Portland here to share their voice on this committee, especially people who have not been involved before. If you want to serve your community and to help government make better choices, then we want to see your application. The attributes listed below are what will guide our selection process. It is helpful if you are specific in your answers. We do not expect you to be or have everything listed. 

• You believe government is better when community is involved
• You are an advocate for racial equity: you want positive and long-lasting outcomes for racial and ethnic communities who have been left out before. You can bring discussion about racial and ethnic communities who need it the most.
• You are available to attend all meetings and participate in the discussions
• Members should demonstrate a commitment to Portland Parks and Recreation and to the mission of the Board.
• Ability to bring a system-wide perspective to the Board while striving to not represent individual interests or areas of the City.
• The membership of the Board shall strive to reflect the demographic and geographic diversity of the City.

Time Commitment

• Monthly meetings currently take place on the second Tuesday of the month from 5-7pm with additional sub-committee work outside of that meeting time. Meetings will take place via Zoom and/or the Portland Building (1120 SW 5th Ave) or other locations as determined by the Parks Board and Parks Leadership.
• Members serve terms of 3 years with a limit of 2 consecutive terms.
• Members are expected to prepare for meetings on their own time. Arrive ready to discuss meeting materials and agenda items. Meeting materials for review are typically sent one week in advance, but they may be sent with minimal time to review, potentially as few as 48 hours in advance.
• The minimum anticipated time commitment is approximately 4 hours per month.

We Remove Barriers

Let us know if there are barriers to your participation. Dinner will be provided at evening meetings. Public transportation or parking passes will be available if you need those to fully participate.

Volunteer Ethics
People who join this committee will become what we call “Public Officials,” which means that while you serve you must behave fair and ethically. We will provide training on this once you are accepted. Part of following Public Officials Ethics laws means you must tell the group when you or a relative may financially benefit (or avoid fees) by your recommendations. This is called a “Conflict of Interest.” If you tell us about potential Conflicts of Interest that does not mean you cannot serve, in fact, many committees have potential members with Conflicts of Interest. We appreciate your ethical inclusion of possible Conflicts of Interest on the form included in the application.

The Recruitment Process

Applications are due by 11:59pm on Sunday, April 30, 2023.

To talk with someone about this opportunity or to receive assistance completing the application, please contact the advisory body staff liaison at michelle.tran@portlandoregon.gov or 971-865-1878.

Voluntary & Confidential Demographic Information

The City is committed to diversity, inclusion, and equity. Completing the demographic information on the application is voluntary, but we encourage you to provide that information.  The City uses this information to help ensure that advisory body appointments represent a broad cross-section of community. Your information will not be used during the recruitment nor the selection process. State and federal law prohibit use of this information to discriminate against you. Questions about this may be sent to AdvisoryBodies@Portlandoregon.gov

General Questions

For general questions about the Advisory Bodies program, the volunteer recruitment process, or other upcoming advisory body opportunities please email AdvisoryBodies@Portlandoregon.gov.

We Encourage You to Apply

We welcome you to browse our website to learn more about the bureau and Parks Board.

Do you have questions or need more information? Email michelle.tran@portlandoregon.gov or 971-865-1878.

Additional Information

COVID – 19 Vaccine Requirement

The work location for this opportunity is hybrid (remote and onsite).
Workplaces across Portland, the United States and the world are making tough decisions about how to protect their employees and community from COVID-19. We, too, find ourselves in the middle of this complex situation at the City of Portland.  We are committed to ensuring the health and safety for our employees and our community. As a part of this commitment, all City employees are required to be fully vaccinated, effective October 18, 2021. Proof of full vaccination, or documentation of plans to become fully vaccinated (e.g., partially vaccinated however too soon for second dose, etc.) will be required prior to being hired by the City of Portland. The required vaccination is a minimum qualification requirement to be hired by the City of Portland. We understand that some are unable to be vaccinated for a variety of reasons, including medical and religious/spiritual reasons. Should you be offered employment with the City of Portland, there is an exception process that provides for an exception and reasonable accommodation based on a qualified medical condition or religious/spiritual reason.  Exception Request Process for COVID-19 vaccine (Exceptions only apply to candidate(s) offered a position; please do not submit at this time).

Work Location

Currently, many positions with the City of Portland are being performed remotely due to COVID-19.  In the future, current positions classified as “full-time remote” could: 1) remain full-time remote, 2) become a remote/onsite mix, 3) revert to full-time at a city work location. As the situation evolves, the exact work location of the position in this recruitment may change based upon leadership direction and approval.