Jane Ames - Senior Policy Director
The Office
Education and Public Safety
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The impact of Measure 5, the 1991 property tax limitation, on Portland’s school children propelled Jane Ames into civic service. Jane believed strongly in the importance of quality public education, and was directly affected with a daughter entering elementary school that year. For the past 14 years, Jane has been an active classroom and school volunteer, and a grassroots leader and volunteer lobbyist for quality education and stable and adequate funding at the district, local and state levels. It was during this advocacy work she first met Sam Adams, then Mayor Katz’s Chief of Staff. It was her initial encounter that motivated Jane to work on his campaign. She continues to be impressed with Sam’s effectiveness, hard work, and genuine respect for citizens. As a member of Commissioner Adams’ team, Jane’s responsibilities emphasize issues regarding education, families and public safety.
Jane holds a bachelor’s degree in education from Boise State University. She has worked as a Teaching Assistant in the Portland Public School District and as an Orton-Gillingham Reading Tutor. For years, she was a stay-at-home mom who volunteered endlessly and enjoyed the luxury of scheduling her time around kids’ lives. Working in City Hall taps her same sense of civic service, but has her working on a wide variety of issues and structuring her time and life in new ways. She considers herself lucky to have been able to stay at home and now to have such an interesting and challenging opportunity.
Free time is mostly shared with her husband, Ken, and daughter Joanna. She savors time with family, friends, and her Wednesday morning coffee group. Jane grew up in Fort Bragg, a small logging and fishing town in Northern California. It was here that she gained a deep appreciation for a strong sense of place and civic responsibility. Her love of small town spirit makes Portland a good fit; it is a vibrant city full of individualized, small communities.
Jane Ames
Office of Commissioner Adams
1221 SW 4th Avenue, Room 220
Portland, OR 97204
Phone: (503) 823-1123
Fax: (503) 823-3017
Posted by The Office on April 18, 2005
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