Amalia Morris joins as the GARE West Project Manager following a storied career in public service, most recently with the City of Portland. There as a Health Specialist, Program Manager, and ultimately as the Bureau Director of the Office of Neighborhood Involvement, Amalia has dedicated herself to shifting institutions to advance racial equity. In that last position, she managed a $9 million budget and 60 staff aligned with the goals of community driven budgeting, expansive neighborhood partnerships with under-engaged populations, and adoption of a citywide racial equity framework. She played a significant role in the creation of Portland¹s Office of Equity andHuman Rights. In her own words, ‘you can¹t do meaningful, relevant equity work without consistently engaging the people who are experiencing disparities. Together with community, local governments must apply a rigorous jurisdiction-wide, equity-based analysis; and implement and monitor measurable objectives if they hope to meet their mandate of serving our county¹s ever evolving demographics. Transparency and flexibility are key’. Amalia will begin January 2.