Mary-Beth Baptista

Executive Leadership & Accountability, Expertise in Government Relations, Regulatory Development & Enforcement, Public Health and Safety:

• Administrative rule making, statutory revisions, develop legislative concepts. Wrote administrative rules and legislative concepts to maintain profession best practices, efficient agency operation, enhanced transparency and licensee accountability. Liaison with the legislature regarding Board priorities, and pending legislation.
• Fiscal management and budget responsibilities. Responsible for all aspects of agency fiscal management and efficient allocation of resources. Work collaboratively with the Department of Administrative Services Fiscal Analysts, and the Governor's office to develop the agency 1.3 million biennial budget, and shepherd the budget bill through legislative approval. Responsible for communicating directly with legislature, through in-person and written testimony, and respond to member requests for information and fiscal impacts.
• Staff supervision and administration. Direct supervision and quarterly reviews of two full-time staff members. Ensure compliance with mandatory trainings and encourage staff skill development.

Community Engagement & Transparency, Collaborative Partnerships:

• Board and Council recruitment, retention and management. Developed effective recruitment and retention strategies, created and led on-boarding curriculum for the seven-member Board of Naturopathic Medicine, and seven-member advisory Naturopathic Formulary Council. Onboarding familiarizes and educates members on administrative law, regulatory authority, investigative analysis, burden of proof, contested case process and keys to enforceable discipline. Lead bi-monthly Board and bi-annual Council meetings. Maintain open communication and transparency with the Board and Council members.
• Agency representation, public participation and coalition building. Develop and maintain relationships with Governor's office, legislators, state and federal government agencies, health care organizations, individual licensees and the public. Participate in Rule Advisory Committees to assist State agencies develop rules for practice areas related to naturopathic medicine, health care and public safety. Regularly collaborate with and present to Oregon Association of Naturopathic Medicine and National University of Naturopathic Medicine.

Strategic Vision & Policy, Equity-Driven Leadership:

• Strategic Plan, Affirmative Action and DEI Plan. Through collaboration, developed agency goals, and concrete strategic plans to advance and improve the Board’s performance of its duties, including repairing the impact of past or present discrimination, intended or unintended, increasing diversity of licensure applicants and current licensees, as well as Board and Council membership.

Strategic Vision & Policy:

• Policy review, writing regulatory compliance manuals. Completed a comprehensive review of the Oregon Liquor Control Commission Public Safety Division and the Administrative Policy and Procedure Division enforcement policies, rewrote the Divisions' Enforcement Policy Manual.

Executive Leadership & Accountability: Directed and managed all aspects of the independent and impartial oversight of the Portland Police Bureau (Bureau) discipline system.

Experienced with Local Government & Public Safety, Strategic Vision & Policy:

• Data driven analysis of police practices; development and implementation of complex policies and large-scale programs, produced data driven publications. Evaluated and identified critical issues with the operating policies of the Bureau, including patterns of police misconduct and lack of transparency. Aggregated and analyzed data to develop effective performance metrics and measures. Instituted data-based policy changes to reduce complaints as well as incidents and patterns of police misconduct. Established innovative large-scale bureau-wide programs to resolve operational and programmatic problems. Wrote and managed the production of multiple data driven publications related to patterns of police misconduct, use of force, officer involved shootings, complaints and discipline.
• Lead sweeping changes of Portland City Ordinance through City Council. Wrote substantial changes to the Portland City Ordinance to increase the oversight authority of the Auditor’s Independent Police Review division and to increase the transparency of Portland’s police accountability process. Lead the several month-long efforts to forge the changes through City Council, to a unanimous vote to implement the proposed revisions that significantly strengthened IPR’s oversight by increasing IPR’s authority to conduct independent administrative investigations; elevated IPR’s role in police investigations and discipline recommendations and enhanced and expanded transparency related to police officer discipline.
• Managed the intake of complaints of police misconduct, discipline investigations and discipline. Determined which complaints were elevated to an administrative investigation based on complex labor and administrative law. Conducted and managed independent and Bureau investigations of allegations of police misconduct to determine whether an officer committed a violation Bureau policy, including discrimination, sexual misconduct, harassment, retaliation and disparate treatment, use of force, and police procedure. Voting member of the Police Review Board and made discipline recommendations to the Chief of Police.

Community Engagement & Transparency, Collaborative Partnerships, Equity-Driven Leadership:

• Recruitment, On-boarding, Coordination, and Oversight of the (then) nine-member police advisory board - Citizen Review Committee (CRC). Managed all aspects of the monthly CRC meeting. Created and implemented subcommittee work plans for members to set identifiable goals, timelines and resource needs to fulfill their primary functions. Supervised subcommittee workgroups and developed policy recommendations to address problems with police services and conduct. Organized CRC public forums and CRC investigation appeal hearings.
• Lead targeted public outreach to hear community concerns and build public trust. Developed an outreach plan to engage the police and public in dialogue related to police conduct and neighborhood policing with emphasis on bridging the gap between the Portland Police Bureau and historically marginalized communities, leading to recommendations for Police Bureau changes. Lead multiple stakeholder committees comprised of community members, elected officials, and non-government organization representatives; to develop balanced and enforceable recommendations for City Ordinance changes.

Operational & Fiscal Management, Equity-Driven Leadership:

• Responsible for all aspects of fiscal management of a 1.2-million-dollar budget and supervision of ten staff members. Conducted annual staff reviews, ensured attendance of all mandatory trainings.
• Encouraged staff skill development through training or education opportunities. Imposed requirement that the ten member staff complete 12 hours of intercultural competency training covering oppression theory, intercultural competence, and racism. Coordinated and implemented a multi-day training related to recognizing vicarious trauma, and supportive methods for healing, for IPR staff, Portland City Attorneys, and Portland Police Bureau Internal Affairs leadership and investigators. Participants were led through exercises in vicarious resilience and transformation, with the goal of setting boundaries and establishing coping strategies that lead to positive responses to vicarious trauma, with the goal of regaining the positive sense of purpose from working in direct service.

Attorney Experienced in Local Government & Public Health and Safety Law

• Criminal prosecution. Litigated over 100 court and jury trials ranging in severity from misdemeanor crimes to attempted aggravated murder. Drafted numerous cooperation agreements and legal motions relating to constitutional issues, criminal procedure, evidence, and sentencing.

Community Engagement & Transparency, Collaborative Partnerships, Equity-Driven Leadership:

• Special Prosecutor - Elder Abuse. Directed outreach and coordination with government agencies and the nonprofit social service community to expand and coordinate efforts to eliminate barriers to services for elder-abuse victims.
• Special Prosecutor - Violence Against Women Act. Through coalition building, worked to prevent, identify and respond to domestic violence involving vulnerable victims, including victims representing underserved populations.