Keith Wilson For Portland City Council

Hello Portland, my name is Keith Wilson. I’m running for City Council because I want to get things done. I want to tackle sky-high housing costs, our growing homelessness, our inability to keep our city clean and maintained and deteriorating public safety. In addition, I would like to see a complete shift away from combustion engines for cleaner air. These are huge issues and not the time for half measures. I have a plan. I know how to implement and execute and, most importantly, I have the experience and record of success to meet and exceed these challenges. It is time to reTHINK PORTLAND for the decade ahead.

I am a second-generation Portlander. Born and raised in North Portland. The son of a truck driver and a lifelong Avon Lady. My parents raised five children, one with special needs, in a two-bedroom home. They worked as hard as humanly possible to make sure that we were all taken care of. How they treated and guided me, our family, their friends and associates shaped my core values and my commitment to hard work, dignity, equity and inclusiveness. These unbending principles are what I will bring to City Hall with me every day.

I am the first in my family to pursue the dream of higher education. After graduating from Roosevelt High School, Portland Community College proved to be the perfect school to help me build the confidence and grades I needed before my jump to Oregon State University. I worked throughout college and with the help of student loans paid for nearly all my college education. I graduated with a degree in Business.

I spent the first five years after college working in New York, London and New Zealand, which provided me an opportunity to travel to four continents and 30 countries. Comparing the great cities of the world to Portland convinced me of our complete uniqueness here with our spectacular beauty and strong feeling of community, and so I returned home. My father, by then, a small trucking business owner, asked me to join his company. I love my dad and it was my pleasure to join the family business and work alongside him for 10 years.

After gaining a Master of Business Administration at University of Portland, I assumed the leadership role of the business. Since taking over, our revenue has grown six-fold and the company operates throughout the Northwest and supports over 400 accounts with daily deliveries. With the support of my entire team, we have transformed TITAN into one of the most modern, safe and technologically advanced carriers in the nation. I expect to do the same for Portland.

Some of our most exceptional accomplishments:

Equity & Inclusion

• Over 50% of management and supervisory team throughout entire organization are staffed by women and people of color
• All wages transparent and each position and grade is clearly defined
• Zero employee EEOC unfair practice violations
• Above industry average wages, health care and retirement benefits

Safety

• Zero fatalities
• Five years without a traffic collision hospitalization

I have found the more you invest in your people the stronger your community becomes. 

Becoming a City Councilperson and Commissioner would be an enormous honor and challenge. With my professional management experience, I believe I have the proven skills to deliver on the most complicated policy or challenge. Often, the most important part of success is simply executing the details and doing it well, which is my strength.

I sweat the small stuff. If I see a pothole in your neighborhood, I want it filled. If I see trash on the side of the road, I want it picked it up. If I see an abandoned car on your street, I want it removed.

I am a proud Portlander. I met my wonderful wife, Katherine, here. My two beautiful children who are my everything, Lilianna and Noah, were born here. For them and every Portlander, I will work as hard as humanly possible to make sure this city is the most livable in the world.

Keith

reTHINK PORTLAND