The Portland Bureau of Transportation has taken steps to fill a big hole in their communications department. As I shared last week, PBOT’s sole media relations staffers — Dan Anderson and Cheryl Kuck — both decided to move on. Today PBOT confirmed that they’ve hired Dylan Rivera and Diane Dulken as interim media relations staffers to fill those vacant positions.
Rivera is a former transportation reporter for The Oregonian who was laid off back in 2010. He covered many transportation issues including the Columbia River Crossing (he did great work exposing important details about that project), Sunday Parkways, parking policy, and so on. In July 2010 he was hired by Metro and became their senior public affairs specialist (as well as writing for their Metro News department). He left his Metro position at the end of last year to become the communications director for the Oregon House Democrats.
Dulken is also a former reporter from The Oregonian who in recent years has established a public relations and marketing firm. Dulken has an impressive and varied background that includes stints in communications roles for environmental organizations and most recently the Oregon Trial Lawyers Association. A former vice-chair of the Bicycle Transportation Alliance, she combined her artistic abilities with her love of bicycling to create the Art Rack Project, which earned her an Alice Award. Dulken’s online bio says, “She is an avid bicyclist and commutes almost everywhere by bike, even in the sloshy winters.”
Reached via email today, outgoing PBOT spokesman Dan Anderson (his last day is Friday) said they’re thankful to have hired Rivera and Dulken. “The bureau believes that public information is a high priority so we didn’t want the positions to be vacant.”
Rivera and Dulken will likely remain on the PBOT staff until Mayor Charlie Hales selects a new director for the bureau.