Multnomah County has announced a change in its leadership for the Homeless Services Department as Dan Field, a former executive at Kaiser Permanente, prepares to retire. Starting June 16, his interim successor will be current Deputy Director Anna Plumb, as stated by Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson. Field, who took on the director role in April 2023, will conclude his two-year tenure with the department, capping off a 40-plus-year career in healthcare and public service. Field mentioned his pre-planned retirement, which contributed years of dedicated service to the department's stabilization.
Field's achievements during his service included addressing underspending, delivering improved outcomes, and fostering relationships with the City of Portland and other partners. According to a statement obtained by Multnomah County news release, Field has played a pivotal role in overseeing a network of providers that sheltered and rehoused a record number of individuals. Under his leadership, the department also initiated a data dashboard for tracking inflow into homelessness and developed improved contracting practices.
Plumb comes into this interim role with significant experience, having worked for over a decade at the county. According to the same news release, her background includes forming the County’s Evaluation and Research Unit and managing COVID-19 shelters. She was also involved in County Human Resources, supporting various departments before her latest posting as Deputy Director in August 2023, selected from a pool of 34 candidates. Field praised Plumb for her huge role in stabilizing the team and advancing the work, particularly in measuring outcomes and ensuring effective spending.
Looking forward to the future challenges, Plumb acknowledged the ongoing work still required to support the homeless population in Portland. "We’ve come a long way in the last two years by focusing on the basics — programming, contracting, data and relationships — and that won’t change," Plumb stated, as per Multnomah County News Release. She inherits several fiscal challenges, including handling a significant drop-off in Supportive Housing Services and federal funding, contributing to a spending gap.
