Hannah Kuhn

Chief of Staff

hannah.kuhn@portlandoregon.gov

503-823-3599

Hannah serves as the Chief of Staff to Portland City Commissioner Nick Fish. She assists in the management of the Commissioner’s assigned bureaus and the Commissioner’s staff. She also serves as his senior advisor on a range of policy issues.

She previously worked for Mayor Katz as her liaison to the Planning Bureau, established the City’s Measure 37 program, and most recently completed an analysis of the City’s new tree Code.  She received her Master’s degree in German & European Studies from Georgetown University.

Hannah loves international travel, speaks fluent German and conversational French, and counts choral singing and ballroom dancing among her favorite pastimes.  

Favorite Quote: “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” ~Mary Oliver

Jim Blackwood, Jr.

Policy Director

jim.blackwood@portlandoregon.gov

503-823-3598

Jim serves as a Policy Director for our office, and is the Commissioner's primary liaison to the Bureau of Parks & Recreation. He also serves as liaison to a number of non-portfolio bureaus.

Jim is passionate about the great variety of live music in Portland, is a sports car racing fan, and is an avid gardener.

He is a proud, lifelong fan of the 2010 and 2012 World Champion San Francisco Giants.

Favorite Quote: “They do not dwell in remorse about the past, nor do they brood about the future: they abide in the present: therefore are radiant.”

Aja Blair

Constituent Services Specialist

aja.blair@portlandoregon.gov

503-823-3597

Aja serves as the Constituent Services Specialist for Commissioner Nick Fish. He is the first point of contact for office visitors and callers.

Aja is a graduate of Portland State University with a degree in Arts and Letters and a minor in Theater Arts. Aja comes to us from Starbucks Coffee Company where he worked for the last eight years, with the last two and half as a store manager.

Aja has a passion for travel, a flair for cooking spicy food, and a love for the city of Portland.

Favorite food: Indian cuisine

Mila Greisen

Scheduler & Office Manager

mila.greisen@portlandoregon.gov

503-823-3605

Mila is the executive assistant to Commissioner Fish. She manages incoming scheduling requests and the office budget. Her previous experience includes extensive work in City Hall in the areas of scheduling and international diplomacy. She has coordinated official City delegations to Guadalajara, Mexico; Suzhou, China; Bologna, Italy; and Mutare, Zimbabwe. Mila attended Portland State University and Minzu University of China in Beijing. She has a degree in Anthropology with a foreign language minor in Mandarin.

Mila is originally from Alaska, and has been living in Portland since 1997.

Favorite activities: traveling, hiking, and tending to her garden.

George Hocker

Public Advocate

george.hocker@portlandoregon.gov

503-823-3603

George serves as the Commissioner's Public Advocate. He is the liaison to the Disability Commission, Elders in Action, the Small Business Advisory Council, the Northwest Oregon Labor Council, and a variety of other community groups. George has over thirty years of Federal Government experience with significant time spent in Africa, South America, and the South Pacific. He has worked in diversity management consulting, and recently served as an administrative Pastor in the faith community.

George is a graduate of Howard University and the U.S. State Department's nine month Senior Seminar. George enjoys several outdoor sports as well as the great restaurants and jazz music venues of Portland. 

Favorite Quote: "Everyone has the right to make his own decisions, but none has the right to force his decisions on others."  

Claim to Fame: Marched with Martin Luther King, Jr.

Jenny Kalez

Constituent Relations Coordinator

jennifer.kalez@portlandoregon.gov

503-823-3358

Jenny serves as the Commissioner's Constituent Relations Coordinator, communicating with members of the public and serving as liaison for Arts & Culture and the Office of Neighborhood Involvement. She comes most recently from the Portland Housing Bureau, where she helped develop the City's Fair Housing Plan, Consolidated Plan, and supported the bureau's advisory commission.

Jenny has a degree in Sociology and Spanish from Pacific University, and a Masters in Public Administration from Portland State University, with a focus on public outreach and communication. She is a lifelong Oregonian, growing up on the Oregon coast in Newport.

Favorite quote: "A government can be no better than the public opinion which sustains it." - Franklin D. Roosevelt

Sophia Kecskes

Special Projects

sophia.kecskes@portlandoregon.gov

503-823-3589

Sophia works in our office helping with special projects from various staff members. This Summer, she also worked in our office as Community Liaison. Sophia is also our Multnomah Youth Commission liaison, keeping us informed about the MYC's priority's and work. She's been on the MYC for four years and is co-chair of the Youth Voice sub-committee.

Sophia is a senior at Cleveland High School in SE Portland, where she plays varsity lacrosse and is a member of Cleveland's Speech and Debate team. She loves backpacking and spending time outdoors.

Favorite Quote: "Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light." - Albus Dumbledors in 'Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban'

Sonia Schmanski

Policy Director

sonia.schmanski@portlandoregon.gov

503-823-3592

Sonia is a Policy Director in our office, and is the Fish Team liaison to the Portland Housing Bureau. Sonia graduated from Boston University with a degree in International Relations, and most recently worked at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, D.C.

Sonia is a Portland native, an Oregon coast regular, and a lifelong Chicago Cubs fan.

Favorite movie: Jurassic Park

Emily York

Policy Coordinator
emily.york@portlandoregon.gov

503-823-3594

Emily's focus is primarily on projects related to Portland Parks & Recreation and special assignments that integrate sustainability and community health. She coordinated Nick's "1,000 Gardens Initiative" and works closely on a handful of projects that improve access to healthy food and active transportation.

Before working in Nick's office, Emily worked on the Equity Atlas Project with the Coalition for a Livable Future. She has a degree in Community and Environmental Planning and a Masters in Public Health with a Graduate Sustainability Certificate from Portland State University.

Emily is originally from Olympia and enjoys biking and hiking with her 1 year old, Jasper.

Favorite Quote: "The human race is challenged more than ever before to demonstrate our mastery - not over nature, but of ourselves" - Rachel Carson