Veteran Kaiser Official Will Lead Joint Office of Homeless Services

Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson and Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler announced a new director for the Joint Office of Homeless Services this morning.

The new director is Dan Field, a longtime senior official at Kaiser Permanente, where he was the executive director of community benefit, government relations and external affairs.

Field, a graduate of Willamette University and the University of Oregon School of Law, joined Kaiser in 2001 after working in the Legislature for former Gov. John Kitzhaber when he was Senate president and for former Portland Mayor Vera Katz when she was speaker of the House.

“I look forward to working with Dan Field in this role,” Wheeler said. “During the interview process, he demonstrated a strong commitment to helping us solve the homelessness crisis in the greater Portland area. He has extensive experience that I believe will serve him well in this position.”

Field’s work at Kaiser in recent years included helping found HealthShare Oregon, which provides Medicaid services to 400,000 metro-area residents; negotiating the Healthy Kids package, which provides health care to children; and helping set up the mass vaccination clinic at the Oregon Convention Center in the early stages of the pandemic.

“Dan is a leader with a track record of collaboration, partnership, and accomplishment, and that’s exactly what’s needed for this moment,” Vega Pederson said. “I know Dan shares my sense of urgency, and I’m confident he will drive accountability and improved results.”

Field emerged from a pool of 48 applicants seeking to lead the Joint Office, which has a budget of $255 million and 95 employees. Pending approval by the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners, he will begin work April 28. He’ll take over from interim director Joshua Bates, who will become Field’s deputy.

“I am looking forward to returning to public service,” Field said. “This is my opportunity to focus on good policy that features connections across the broad spectrum of stakeholders whose ideas and investments are needed to build the strongest and most responsive housing safety net we can.”

Firld inherits an office that has struggled to get tax dollars out the door to aid people living on the streets. A story in today’s edition of WW examined why.