Multnomah County Homeless Services director to retire as department addresses financial woes
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Multnomah County Homeless Services has announced its new leader that will take over as the department continues to address its financial woes.
On Tuesday, County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson revealed that the department’s current Deputy Director Anna Plumb will serve as interim director starting on June 16. She will succeed Dan Field, who took on the role as permanent director in April 2023.
The exit is due to his “long-planned retirement” following a more than 40-year-career in the health care and public service industry, according to Multnomah County. He previously worked as a Kaiser Permanente executive, staffer for former Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber when he was president of the senate, and chief of staff for former Portland Mayor Vera Katz during her tenure as house speaker.
Throughout his two years with Homeless Services, the county has accredited Field with addressing “underspending” and repairing the department’s relationships with city leaders and other partners. Officials also noted that the department — which was recently named form the Joint Office of Homeless Services — rehoused “record numbers of individuals” and launched its homelessness data dashboard in this time.
“Dan took on a role of critical importance to our community at a pivotal time and has led with determination, accountability, honesty and compassion,’’ Chair Vega Pederson said in a statement. “I am grateful for his leadership in delivering on his goals and moving the work so far forward.’’
For the remainder of his tenure, he is expected to help lead Homeless Services in its budget negotiations for fiscal year 2026. So far this year, the department has been under fire due to its projected $104 million deficit.
Vega Pederson attributed the shortfall to a decline in federal funding and Supportive Housing Services last month.
Homeless Service’s Incoming Interim Director Plum was hired to her current role in August 2023, after 10 years of working for the county as an evaluation and research analyst, human services director and more.
The county reported that Plumb previously worked with homeless service producers throughout Portland and the Minneapolis area as well.