Maurice Henderson, who joined the Portland Bureau of Transportation last year as deputy to Director Leah Treat, has been tapped as Mayor-elect Ted Wheeler's chief of staff and "director of strategic initiatives," Wheeler's office announced this afternoon. That means Henderson will be moving from the Portland Building to City Hall come January.
Wheeler is also hiring long-time Chief of Staff Tom Rinehart for the city's Chief Administrative Officer role—directing the hugely important Office of Management and Finance. He'll begin that work alongside current CAO Fred Miller in October, Wheeler's people say, but won't formally take the reins until January. Miller had already signaled he'd retire when Mayor Charlie Hales left office.
More interesting is the appointment of Henderson. Wheeler, who's connected at all levels of state, county, and city governance, hadn't had much familiarity with him until recently.
"They met several times during the campaign and interfaced on Smart Cities," says Wheeler spokesperson Michael Cox, referring to the city's recent bid for $40 million in federal cash for innovative new transportation and technology projects. Portland was a finalist in that competition, but eventually lost out to Columbus.
Cox didn't offer many details about Henderson's appointment other than to say: "There were many discussions, meetings, and the like about filling these two positions. Maurice quickly became somebody that we wanted to play a major role in our administration."
Henderson's got a résumé to back up the responsibilities that come with a chief of staff job. He's held high positions in Washington, DC's city governance, acting as chief administrator for the city's Office of Chief Technology Officer, according to his city bio. Before joining the administration of former DC Mayor Adrian Fenty in 2007, Henderson acted as deputy press secretary for then-Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine, now the country's likely next vice president.
Wheeler's office is calling Henderson's position a "specially designed role," saying he'll have "responsibility for the mayor's policy agenda and staff as well as responsibility for coordinating the work of key initiatives with multiple bureaus, including the Smart Cities program and process improvements." It's common for chiefs of staff to have wide-ranging policy involvement, but by specifically naming Smart Cities, Wheeler seems to be indicating Henderson will have a strong role in technological innovation.
The chief of staff position for a Portland mayor hasn't been a long-term position of late. Mayor Charlie Hales is now on his third. Former Mayor Sam Adams churned through several during his single term in office, as well.
Henderson might take a pay cut in his new role, Cox says. He's been offered $148,000, though the figure won't become official for months. He makes $160,620 in his current role, not including benefits. Rinehart could make anywhere between $143,312 and $205,379. His salary hasn't been negotiated.
