City Club of Portland Grows by Close to 50 Percent

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Shelby Sebens, GoLocalPDX Contributor

Sam Adams

The City Club of Portland has grown by almost 50 percent in two years. City Club President Karen Kervin said membership rose 47 percent since 2012, with more than 416 new members this year, bringing the total to 1,880.

She attributes the new growth largely to former Mayor Sam Adams, who took the helm as executive director in 2013. Adams served on city council for four years from 2004 to 2008 and as mayor from 2008 to 2012, when he decided not to run again.

“The trend in new members was remarkable when we hired Sam as executive director,” Kervin said. "He brought a lot of energy and a lot of new ideas to the city club. He was that new voice that, in my opinion, got city club talking about the right things.

"I think it was a definite advantage…”

Kervin said the club saw some incremental growth before Adams came on board, but “nothing like we’re seeing now.”

The City Club of Portland is a nonprofit public affairs and research organization. Kervin said the club has 11 research projects underway, the most since 1987.

The club is conducting research into areas including driver cards, the juvenile sex offender registry, GMO labeling requirements, healthcare reform and homelessness, among others, said Greg Wallinger, the club’s research and policy director.

Past research has been credited for impacting legislation and moving public policy, including in-depth reporting of early childhood education that led to further investment in the Head Start program.

The City Club also hosts Friday lunch forums that feature debates, lectures and panels on community and political topics; the programs are broadcast at 7 p.m. Fridays on Oregon Public Broadcasting.

Kervin said the club has been diversifying its membership.

“We’re reaching out to communities that we hadn’t been reaching out to in an effective way before,” she said, adding the club is also trying to expand its reach by offering events and services at different times of the day and week.

“The club is growing and changing to reflect a growing and changing city and state.”