Biography
Personal
Originally from the Northeast, I knew Oregon was my true home almost as soon as I moved here in 1991. I live in Northwest Portland and have three adult children; my youngest just moved back home to Portland after being away for school for the past five years and now works in the tech industry, my middle is a freelance writer and lives in SW Portland with her partner, and my eldest has returned to school at PSU (Go Vikings!) and lives in NW Portland with her partner. I am extremely fortunate to have all three of my kids close by. In the legislative interim, I spend much of my time in the district learning more about the needs and priorities of my community or attending conferences and seminars where I collaborate with professionals and legislators from other states on how to improve public policy across a wide spectrum of issues and develop sound budgets. I am proud to call Senate District 17 home and I am grateful to live in such an amazing community -- you will often find me taking meetings in local coffee shops across Portland, as this allows me to support local businesses in my district and meet all of you much more frequently!
Education
After receiving my undergraduate degree from the University of Chicago and my medical degree from the University of Massachusetts, I moved to the great northwest where I completed my residency in Family Medicine at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU).
Occupation and Civic Involvement
When I'm not at the Capitol, I work at Oregon Health & Sciences University where I teach medical students and residents as an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Family Medicine. While it is difficult for me to see patients during legislative session, I still maintain adjunct faculty status at OHSU and stay involved with their work from both a medical and advocacy/policy perspective.
As a citizen, education remains one of my top priorities. While my children were in school, I frequently volunteered at their school. For many years, I served as a Girl Scout Troop leader and camp physician, and I have remained active with my congregation on the board or clergy search committees of Congregation Neveh Shalom since 2004. I have also been an active member of the National Council of Physician Legislators since I was elected and am now Co-Chair. I also served on the board of the National Association of Jewish Legislators for the majority of my tenure in the legislature, but have now stepped down to make room for additional responsibilities.
Legislative Career
In December of 2011, I was first appointed to the Oregon Senate. With strong support from my district, I returned to the Senate in 2012 and was re-elected in 2014, 2018 and 2022. My primary areas of expertise include creating an affordable, evidence-based healthcare system, investing in a robust, modernized public health system in Oregon, improving education statewide, supporting a strong economy for small and local businesses, and building a balanced state budget. Some of my other advocacy work and professional development includes the CSG West (Council of State Governments) and NCSL (the National Conference of State Legislatures). I enjoy staying active in these national organizations by attending briefings on important issues, getting updates on what policy initiatives are working well in other states so we can bring them to Oregon, and attending annual conferences where we can network with other state elected officials to brainstorm the best ways to serve our constituents. As of the 2022 legislation session, I am also a founding member of our new Clinicians’ Caucus, where practicing health care providers - House and Senate, bipartisan - meet biweekly to compare ideas & expertise and weigh in on health related legislation being introduced by our colleagues and ourselves.
