Mayor Ted Wheeler is pleased to appoint three proven leaders to pilot key roles in Portland��s historic government transition. Michael Jordan will serve as Portland’s Interim City Administrator, Jonas Biery will serve as Interim Deputy City Administrator overseeing Budget and Finance, and Sara Morrissey will serve as Interim Deputy City Administrator overseeing City Operations.
The creation of these leadership positions were approved by a Portland City Council resolution in November 2023 to support the implementation of voter-approved changes to Portland’s form of government and elections. All three positions are interim roles beginning July 1, 2024, and ending June 30, 2025, when a national search for Portland’s first city administrator is expected to conclude.
“We have a responsibility to deliver a voter-approved overhaul to Portland’s government by January 2025, and these leaders will have a pivotal role in making that happen,”said Mayor Wheeler. “I sought out public servants who are able to immediately hit the ground running to help with the transition process. These people have long-lasting relationships with our partners and a strong familiarity with City of Portland operations and management. They have the skills, expertise, and drive to see this through.”
Interim City Administrator: Michael Jordan
As interim city administrator, Jordan will oversee day-to-day operations across the City of Portland’s two dozen bureaus and offices. He will be responsible for leading the government transition and working with the next mayor to develop a budget for the city.
“Portlanders are counting on us to lay the foundation for a transparent, accountable city government that delivers excellent services and solves community problems,” Jordan said. “I’m honored to guide that work, in partnership with the City’s leadership team and the 7,000 public servants who keep Portland running every day.”
For the past two years, Jordan has served as Portland’s Chief Administrative Officer – the executive who oversees citywide initiatives and central services such as human resources, technology and finances in the City’s outgoing form of government. He previously served as the City’s environmental services director.
As Chief Operating Officer for the State of Oregon’s executive branch from 2011 to 2015, Jordan was responsible for leadership and oversight of day-to-day operations. From 2003 to 2011, he led a workforce of 1,600 and a suite of public services and economic development as Chief Operating Officer for Metro, greater Portland’s regional government. Earlier in his career, he served as the City Manager for Canby and as a Clackamas County Commissioner.
Jordan attended the graduate program for public administration at Lewis and Clark College, holds a Bachelor of Science from Portland State University, and attended the University of Oregon on a baseball scholarship from 1974 to 1978. In 2009 he completed a Certificate of Sustainability Leadership at the University of Oregon. He is a lifelong Oregonian who lives with his wife, CJ, in Canby, where he grew up. They have four children and six grandchildren.
Interim Deputy City Administrators
Portland’s new organizational structure features six service delivery areas that group bureaus with a common focus. A deputy city administrator will lead the strategic direction, budgeting and operations of each area, as well as serving on a citywide leadership team. Deputies will identify priorities and change management challenges unique to their service areas, and lead the organization through the transition. Read more about Portland’s future structure for executive leadership.
Jonas Biery, Deputy City Administrator - Budget and Finance
For the past four years, Jonas has served as the Vice President at D.A. Davidson & Co. as a public finance banker and municipal advisor to local governments. Jonas has over 20 years of multi-faceted experience in the government and public finance sector. Between 2011-2020, Jonas worked for the City of Portland, Oregon – first as the City’s Debt Manager and later as Business Services Manager for the City’s Bureau of Environmental Services. Jonas has experience as an issuer, banker or advisor on over 200 financing transactions of various sizes, structures and security.
Jonas is currently a Board Member for the State of Oregon’s Infrastructure Finance Authority. He previously served on the Government Finance Officers Association Committee on Governmental Debt Management and the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board’s Compliance Advisory Group. Jonas graduated from Portland State University with a BA and an MBA. He currently holds Series 63, Series 50 (Municipal Advisor Representative) and Series 52 (Municipal Securities Representative) designations.
The Budget and Finance Service Area is responsible for managing the City of Portland’s accounting, budgeting, special appropriations, small donor elections and revenue programs. This includes setting financial policy and budget processes for the city.
Sara Morrissey, Deputy City Administrator - City Operations
Sara joined the Mayor’s Office as the Deputy Chief of Staff in July 2021. She manages the Mayor's policy team and is the office’s lead for budget development. She received her BA in Economics and Spanish from Williams College and a Masters in Urban and Regional Planning from Portland State University. Sara has over 14 years’ experience in the public sector in Oregon with an emphasis on project management, infrastructure development, policy implementation, and government relations.
While at the Mayor’s office she has worked closely with other governmental entities, including the Governor’s Office and Multnomah County, and has focused on the development of the Joint Office of Homelessness Intergovernmental Agreement and Homelessness Response System. Her role is to support the team to execute the Mayor’s vision of addressing Portlander’s most challenging issues. In her new position, Sara will support the City Operations team through the transition to the new form of government while ensuring that elected officials, staff, and the Portland community stay connected and involved throughout the process.
The City Operations Service Area manages the City of Portland’s internal operations, including human resources, technology services, procurement, fleet and facilities, 311, special projects and security.