City of Portland announces public works leadership transition

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Portland's top public works leader will leave the city government this month, City Administrator Raymond C. Lee III announced today. He plans to conduct a national search for the next deputy city administrator for the city's Public Works Service Area, which includes Transportation, Parks & Recreation, Water and Environmental Services - encompassing 3,000 employees and a $4.7 billion budget.

Deputy City Administrator Priya Dhanapal, who was selected to help stand up the Public Works Service Area two years ago when Portland transitioned to a new form of government, will depart from her role Sept. 4. She previously served in public works leadership roles for Clark County, Wash., and the City of Beaverton.

"Priya Dhanapal stepped into an extraordinarily complex role at a defining moment for the City of Portland," Mayor Keith Wilson said. "Her leadership helped bring together four major bureaus around a shared approach to serving Portlanders, while continuing to move forward critical investments in our transportation, parks, water and environmental systems. I'm grateful for Priya's service to Portland and for the foundation she has built for Public Works to continue delivering for our community."

During Dhanapal's tenure, Public Works has secured sustainable transportation funding and advanced Vision Zero; launched unified approaches to capital project planning and water management; navigated critical milestones on the Bull Run Filtration Project; and supported Parks, from the successful Parks Levy to the launch of a new vision for Waterfront Park. The service area has also advanced projects Portlanders can see and experience every day, from Washington Park reservoir improvements to the new Darcelle XV Plaza to the return of the Thompson Elk Fountain.

Lee appointed Millicent Williams, director of the Portland Bureau of Transportation, to serve as interim deputy city administrator. Williams took the helm of PBOT in 2023 after a previous leadership role with the bureau; she has also served in public service leadership roles in Washington, D.C.

National recruitments are underway for the deputy city administrator roles for the Public Safety and City Operations service areas. Lee said he anticipates launching the Public Works recruitment this fall.