|
Barbara Roberts was elected the 34th
Governor of Oregon in 1990, becoming the first woman governor in her state and
one of the first ten women governors in the nation. Previously, she held public
office for twenty-four years, including ten years as a public-school board
member, a community-college board member, a county commissioner, a state representative,
and the first woman to serve as majority leader in the Oregon House of Representatives. In
addition, Roberts was elected to two terms as Oregon Secretaryy of State (1984 to 1990) before her
election as Governor.Following her term as Oregon's governor,
Barbara Roberts spent a decade in higher education administration focused on
state and local government leadership. She served five years at Harvard's
Kennedy School of Government, followed by five years at Portland State
University's Hatfield School of Government in Oregon.
Among her many recognitions is the
naming of the Oregon Department of Human Services Building in her honor and the
Barbara Roberts High School in Salem. Governor Roberts was also awarded an
Honorary Doctor of Laws from Willamette University, an Honorary Doctor of
Letters from Portland State University, and an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters
from Western University College of Osteopathic Medicine. In addition, as part
of USA TODAY's "Women of the Century," a 50-state national program
recognizing trailblazing women in every state, Governor Roberts was named one
of Oregon's ten "Women of the Century" in 2020.
Barbara Roberts is a published author
with four books, including her autobiography, Up the Capitol Steps: A
Woman's March to the Governorship (Oregon State University Press, 2011),
and two editions of Death Without Denial, Grief Without Apology (NewSage
Press, 2002 and 2016). With her latest book, A Voice for Equity, Roberts
continues to be a vocal advocate for women's leadership, disability issues,
LGBTQ+ rights, environmental concerns, and equality and dignity for all
people.
Barbara Roberts lives in Portland,
Oregon. She has two adult
sons, a grandmother to two grown grandchildren, and a step-grandmother to eighteen. She is a native Oregonian
and a fourth-generation descendant of 1853 Oregon Trail pioneers.
As one of Oregon's most beloved,
respected, and sought-after leaders in the state's Democratic party, Roberts
continues to mentor and advise others as they seek leadership positions.
|
