Jefferson Smith Issues a Call to Action: 6 Resolutions for a Better Portland in 2023
2 min read 24 Mar 2023, 06:42 PM ISTOver the past decade, Jefferson Smith has immersed himself in a range of ventures that aim to enact meaningful change. He served as the Executive Director of XRAY.FM, a non-profit progressive talk radio station, and hosted a daily radio program
PremiumJefferson Smith is a passionate Portland native, known as a progressive politician, gifted public speaker, gregarious radio personality, and social entrepreneur with a background in law. He graduated in the top 5% of his class at Harvard Law School and has since taken on a variety of roles in his pursuit of making his city, his country, and his world a better place.
Jefferson Smith's initial foray into social and political engagement was founding The Bus Project in 2001, an initiative aimed at encouraging young people to get more involved in current social and political issues. He later served two terms in the Oregon House of Representatives from 2010 to 2012 and later ran for Mayor of Portland.
Over the past decade, Jefferson Smith has immersed himself in a range of ventures that aim to enact meaningful change. He served as the Executive Director of XRAY.FM, a non-profit progressive talk radio station, and hosted a daily radio program. He also sits on the Board of Wayfinding College, which offers degrees in Self and Society, Social Change, and Civic Action, and serves as an Advisor at World Oregon, deepening public awareness and understanding of international affairs. Additionally, he is a Founding Board Member of Portland Forward.
Smith's most recent project is Tryl.ai, which uses technology and behavioral science to improve the accuracy of clinical trials by minimizing dropout rates, increasing reporting, and better representing rural residents and people of color.
Recently, Jefferson Smith appeared on KOIN 6 News, a local CBS affiliate that has provided news, network, and syndicated entertainment to viewers in Oregon and Southwest Washington since 1953. During his appearance, Smith shared six New Year's resolutions he believes Portlanders can adopt to make their city a better place in 2023.
- First, clean up the city! You can easily do this through the Adopt One Block program. Just pick your favorite block you’d like to work on keeping nice, and they’ll deliver you the cleanup supplies for free.
- Do you have a spare room in your house? If so, go to Home Share Oregon. This nonprofit will match you with someone you’d like to rent the room to.
- Use the extra money you’ll earn from renting your room to dedicate at least one purchase to a local business. Too many local businesses are going under while we all have Amazon boxes piling up outside our front doors.
- If you are able to, go into work! Isolation is killing us and you can help make our streets safer by being present and engaged in the community.
- Let's educate ourselves on the new form of government we voted for.
- Shrink the digital divide. I’m helping with this through the 10,000 Tablets program which helps get tablets with free internet for people who qualify.
“No one expects you to tackle all 6 of these on your own, but each of us can do something," explains Jefferson Smith.
“Our city doesn’t happen to us. Our community is something we make. So, let’s vow this year to make it a tiny bit better."
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