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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 8, 2003)
^ ^ J iir t k u t ït (O b s e ru e r M E D Page B 2 W e e k O ctober 0 8 . 2003 Business Triples for Ex-Legislator and Consultant JoAnn Bowman advocates for the community by L ee P erlman T he P ortland O bserver What does a grass-roots politician do when she finds herself out o f a job? She becomes a consultant and learns all over again about what it's like to be on the outside trying to get in. At least that’s how it’s been for JoAnn Bowman, former three-term representative o f Oregon State Mouse District 19 (now D istrict 43). Tw o years ago, w hen Multnomah County Commission chair Beverly Stein resigned to run for gover nor, Bowman quit her own post to run for chair. Both lost, Stein to Ted Kulongoski, Bowman to Diane Linn. Since then Bowman has done consult ing work for Portland Public Schools, the Housing Authority o f Portland, the Port land Office o f Transportation and the Albina Ministerial Alliance. She helped a consortium ofthe A frican-American Cham- berofCom m erceand other minority inter ests win a city contract for managing downtown’s Smart Park garages. She also works with theCommunity Alliance, which is seeking to ensure minority and women participation in the development o f the South Waterfront area, and the Office of Neighborhood Association’s Citizen In volvement Task Force. After the lost election, Bowman said she took a few months off to explore what she "wanted to do when I grew up." Work ing for another public official was out. “There were only two people I would have worked for and neither one was hir ing,” she said. Encouraged by "mentors” such as fel low consultant Joan Brown-Kline, she entered the consultant field. She helped the Housing Authority o f Portland with community outreach and planning for the redevelopment o f Columbia Villa under a federal HOPE VI grant. "There w asn’t a lot o f public trust in theirearly decisions," Bowman said. “Be cause I knew a lot o f the residents, because I have a reputation o f listening to the community, 1 was seen as a credible out side entity.” She is currently part of a consultant team helping the Portland School District P hoto by M ark W ashington /T he P ortland O bserver JoAnn Bowman steps outside after testifying before a recent meeting ofthe OregQn Commission for Woman. A former state representative from northeast Portland, Bowman is busy working as a private business consultant and commu nity advocate. plan the future o f the di lapidated and aban doned John Adams-Whitaker school prop erty in northeast Portland. The head ofthe team, Sumner Sharpe, said o f Bowman, "S he’s worked well with a wide range of people, and gotten them all involved in the process.” “ My business has tripled in the last year, mostly from people who have seen me in action,” Bowman said. It didn’t begin that way. “ I was on the city’s pre-approved list for public consultants for a year, but I wasn’t getting any work," she said. “Agen cies tend to use the people they’ve always used; they don’t do a wide search for new people. T hat's one reason why I'm volun teering with Citizen Involvement Task Force. If we come up with a good system, there’ll be more opportunity for people to access the system from the grass roots.” Bowman feels the "good old (white) boy network" applies to construction con tracts, and differs with her former fellow legislator Randy Leonard on the issue o f requiring "prevailing wages" on public projects. “ I had a wonderful working relation-" ship with Randy; his only blind spot was unions," Bowman said. "If unions actually hired minorities and women, and moved them through the apprenticeship pro grams, I would beacham pionofprevailing wages. But all you need to do is visit a work site and you know there’s a problem. T here’s no checking, no accountability and no penalty.” The prevailing wage requirement “pre cludes the ability o f minority contractors’ to get contracts; James Posey is a perfect example,” Bowman said. C on versely, her work with the African- American ChamberofC'ommerce and the Contract Management Group shows how things could happen. The group’s suc cess in winning the parking contract from City Center Parking shows that “you don’t have to have minority set-asides; if there’s a level playing field we can compete with anyone," Bowman said. Bowman was bom in Baltimore, and moved to Portland from Walnut Park, Calif, in 19 9 1. Looking fora new place to live, she chose Portland because o f its high quality o f life, proximity to both beaches and mountains, and affordability. Although it lived up to its reputation, she said, “ I had to get acclimated to it. This was the first place I ’d lived in with such a small African- American population.” Her first job was director o f develop ment and marketing for the Black United Fund. “It was an opportunity to travel around the state and see what incredible work people were doing with very little money.” » She later went to work for Stein before» winning the District 19 post. The most satisfying part o f her job, she» said, was acting as an advocate for her constituents. Once she was approached by a single father whose car had broken down on a freeway two days after pur chase, and the dealer insisted he had no responsibility. When Bowman called and threatened to introduce a "lemon law,” the dealer agreed to make the repairs and provide the continued on page H8 AAHC IS REACHING O U T Join the Team! Eat Right, Get Screened! African American Health Coalition, tnc. Join Us for the 8th Annual Wellness Village Saturday, October 18, 2003 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at The Blazers Boys & Girls Club 5250 N.E. Martin Luther King |r. Blvd. Schedule of Activities ' <- \ * 9am 10 10:30 Doors open Opening Drum Ceremony Keynote Speaker: Joyce Dougherty, Ph.D, R.D. 11 - 1 pm Gourmet Cooking Demo 12pm Gospel Choir 12:30 Wellness Walk 1-1:30 Salsa Dancing 1:30-3:30 Gourmet Cooking Demo 3:30-4 Salsa Dancing Free Health Screenings V Arterial Stiffness V Glaucoma Screening W Blood Pressure Screening W TB and Lead Screening W Immunizations V Prostate Screening W Bone Density Screening V Diabetes Screening V Cholesterol Screening W Peaceful Pampering V Glucose & A IC Screening W Oregon Health Plan V Body Fat Analysis V HIV/Hep C Testing For more information contact AAHC at 503-413-1850 or kareng@aahc-portland.org or visit our Web site at www.aahc-pordand.org
