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Tiffani Penson

People and Culture manager for the City of Portland

has developed a reputation of being someone who cares about communities of color, recognizes the opportunities the city affords, and wants to bridge the gap between those opportunities and marginalized communities.

She developed and implemented its Summer Works Program, which provides opportunities for youth to work in various bureaus. She developed and implemented Portland鈥檚 We Are Better Together program to provide thoughtful stewardship of city dollars into nonprofit organization sponsorships.

Penson also helped develop the Minority Evaluator Program to ensure that selection committees are diverse, and the dollars spent on contract services are distributed to companies that are also reflective of the community at large.

Her work with the Minority Evaluator Program has resulted in more than 500 volunteers serving on more than 2,500 hiring and procurement panels. Through her People and Culture work, there has been increased applicant diversity for city jobs, increased internal promotions and a decrease in attrition.

Molly Washington, chief programs officer at the National Associationof Minority Contractors Oregon, worked directly with Penson during her time with the Portland City Attorneys Office. At NAMC-Oregon, Penson is her connection to many initiatives, services and leaders at the city.

鈥淭iffani has modeled the intentionality required for real change that impacts communities of color in positive ways. She is a thought leader and a do-er, always looking for ways to level up the work and address unmet needs,鈥� Washington said. 鈥淚n addition, Tiffani regularly engages with youth to discuss their experiences moving into the workforce and to provide guidance and support in their aspirations.鈥�

Penson previously and currently serves on a number of committees and boards, including the Black Male Achievement Initiative, Architecture Foundation of Oregon, Business Diversity Institute, Portland Community College, Oregon Humanities, Kairos PDX and Northwest Native America Chamber.