Light sparring

For some reason, the knitting circle also known as the Oregonian editorial board decided to break the rules of Portland Polite™ last week and go after outgoing Multnomah County commissioner Lori Stegmann for being maybe-possibly-not-super-qualified for her sweet new gig as the county youth and family services director. Alas, it's behind the Paywall of Pity, but their story asked the same questions I asked here a while back.

Then they followed up with a Sunday editorial on the subject, where they clutched their pearls and said:

To be fair, speculation about why the job went to Stegmann, a staunch ally of Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson, is just that – speculation. Only those involved in the hiring have the full story and context of why they chose her to fill the position, which has been without a permanent director since February. But that is exactly why the beleaguered county should adopt stronger guardrails around its hiring practices. There’s no better way to help rebuild trust and curtail rumblings of self-dealing than by enforcing standards that shut down the opportunity for that to happen....

[A]s The Oregonian/OregonLive’s Austin De Dios reported, Stegmann was chosen over other top candidates who have directly managed governmental social service programs for years – experience that Stegmann lacks. In addition, as De Dios reported, county officials who participated in the hiring process raised concerns over Stegmann’s lack of “operational expertise” and limited background managing large organizations. The Youth and Family Services division has 120 employees and a $98 million budget. While Stegmann in an email said she brings experience leading teams, managing complex budgets and implementing strategic initiatives, this role is significantly different from what she has previously done.

Wow, that sounds almost like truth-telling! There must have been egg nog at the office party. But then they backed off and made nicey-nicey in the end.

“As a brown woman, I have to say that I have experienced implicitly and explicitly discrimination where people have often told me ‘you are not good enough, you are not qualified enough,’” she said in her comments, adding that as an immigrant, she has often felt she has had to work twice as hard to be recognized for being half as good as others.

None of this is to say that Stegmann is unqualified. But it’s a mistake to ignore the potential for problems, as uncomfortable as it is for Stegmann to be the case that prompts change....

To Stegmann’s credit, in her email to the editorial board, she wrote that she understands and respects the concerns that her hiring raised. While she emphasized the thorough hiring process that the county undertakes, she agreed that policies should promote transparency and trust. It’s a welcome shift in tone from someone whose commitment to the county is clear and reflects an understanding of the importance of “public” in “public service.” 

God bless the O. They kind of get it, sometimes.