Sam (he/his) became the Executive Director of the Civics Learning Project in 2023. He has served in a variety of leadership and executive roles in government, politics, tech, organized labor, and nonprofit organizations.
Prior to joining CLP, Sam was the political director of the largest independent labor union on the west coast, general counsel of The Greenlining Institute, and led government affairs in Lime’s largest North American markets. He has led numerous successful policy and legislative campaigns on economic equity, environmental justice, transportation access, and consumer protection. He also has a decade of experience advising and working on local, congressional and gubernatorial races.
As a lawyer, Sam has successfully litigated dozens of cases before regulatory agencies, saving billions of dollars for consumers. He has testified before Congress and regularly testified before state legislatures to defend the rights of underserved communities. Sam has been quoted in hundreds of media outlets across the country on issues ranging from energy to small business opportunities to media consolidation. Due to his community leadership, Sam was appointed to serve on various boards and commissions at the county, regional, and state levels.
Prior to law school, Sam was a Coro Fellow in Public Affairs in New York City and helped provide disaster relief after the 9/11 attacks. He also worked at the United Nations to facilitate delivery of humanitarian assistance in the Middle East following the first Gulf War.
In his spare time, you might see Sam playing with his daughter at OMSI or in one of the myriad of beautiful parks in Portland. When he hasn’t been completely exhausted by his daughter, he loves running along the Willamette River and discovering new restaurants with his wife.
