Two former Portland Bureau of Transportation employees have been sworn in by U.S. President Joe Biden for positions within his administration.
Former PBOT Equity and Inclusion Manager Irene Marion will be Director of the Office of Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Transportation. Maurice Henderson, a former assistant director at PBOT, will be Senior Advisor to DOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
Marion and Henderson are among dozens of appointees announced Thursday. “With the safety of the traveling public and America’s workers at the center of its mission, the team will work toward economic recovery, racial equity, and combating climate change,” said the DOT in a statement.
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Prior to his work at PBOT, Henderson served as chief of staff for Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler and had short stint as TriMet’s chief operating officer. Since leaving PBOT in 2019, Henderson was working in government affairs for micromobility company Bird. He was appointed to a position on the Oregon Transportation Commission late last year. He’ll likely need to step down from the OTC to take his new job in DC. According to ODOT, Henderson has not yet submitted a resignation.
Marion had worked at PBOT for nearly five years before accepting her position. She was key in the agency’s effort to become an antiracist organization. “We’re stoked for her, but sad for us,” PBOT Director Chris Warner shared in a meeting today. Marion is no stranger to Washington D.C. She previously worked on Capitol Hill as a staffer for the Congressional Black Caucus during the Obama administration.
— Jonathan Maus: (503) 706-8804, @jonathan_maus on Twitter and jonathan@bikeportland.org
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