Since 2013, the Center for Public Service (CPS) has welcomed scholars from the Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) for a year of professional study in Portland. What began as a graduate capstone project guided by CPS faculty member Dr. Masami Nishishiba and championed by a Seoul official, who later became the city’s Vice Mayor, has grown into one of CPS’s most enduring international partnerships.

This year’s cohort brought two scholars whose work reflects the breadth of public service in a major world city: Mihee An, from Seoul’s Culture and Art Division, and Minjung Hwang, from the Low Birthrate Countermeasures Division. Over the past year, they explored how ideas from American public administration might be adapted to their own institutional and cultural context, culminating in final presentations on inclusive urban social integration policy and on the environmental, social, and economic dimensions of sustainable tourism.

The program’s strength lies in connection. Site visits take scholars beyond the classroom and into the community, including a visit to Cho Wines, founded by Oregon’s first Korean American winemaker. Beyond the beauty of the winery, the visit offered a moving example of how cultural heritage and entrepreneurship can create lasting community and economic value, showing the scholars how cultural identity can be embraced as a strength in leadership and regional development.

Just as memorable are the people. Year after year, scholars describe how deeply they are touched by the kindness and generosity of the Portland community — neighbors and professionals who share their time, knowledge, and experience. Time away from home also gives scholars room to reflect, returning to Seoul with renewed motivation and fresh perspectives on their own communities and public service work.

None of this would be possible without the partners who open their doors each year — including Travel Oregon, Cho Wines, IRCO, the Oregon Department of Human Services, and Business Oregon — and the CPS Senior Fellows whose mentorship anchors the experience. Through seminars on U.S. government, language instruction, and individualized research support, Senior Fellows Dan Vizzini, Scott Lazenby, Ivy O’Neal, and Errin Beck have generously shared their expertise and care, embodying the spirit of mutual learning and public service at the heart of this exchange.

As the SMG partnership continues, it remains a reminder that good governance is built through relationships: across borders, sectors, and communities.

For half a century, the Executive Seminar Program (ESP) in Natural Resources Leadership has brought together leaders from across the Pacific Northwest to strengthen how the region cares for its land, water, and communities. As ESP marks its 50th anniversary in 2026–27, nearly a thousand alumni stand as a testament to its lasting role in public service.

Today’s natural resource leaders face mounting uncertainty—aging infrastructure, competing demands on land and water, shifting regulations, extreme weather and rising community expectations. ESP gives them space to step back from those daily pressures and learn through a real-world case study where they aren’t the ones in the hot seat. As one organizer put it, the real magic of the program is the chance to observe another agency’s challenges and reflect on how conflict arises, how collaboration takes root, and where new kinds of leadership can bridge competing priorities.

That approach comes to life in the field. In a recent year, participants traveled to eastern Arizona to study the reintroduction of the Mexican wolf—a story involving ranchers, Tribes, wildlife scientists, land managers, and conservation groups all working to coexist with a species once nearly lost. Presenters showed how trust, identity, culture, science, and economics together shape the path toward shared stewardship.

The program’s most recent cohort drew 22 participants from 10 state, local, and federal agencies across Oregon, Washington, and Washington, D.C.—including the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, the National Park Service, the Port of Portland, and the Bonneville Power Administration. Graduates leave with practical tools for leading collaboration and navigating conflict, a stronger grasp of governance and accountability, the confidence to make decisions amid ambiguity, and a trusted network of peers across the West.

Now enrolling for 2026–27! 

Registration is open for the anniversary year, built around the theme “Responding to Uncertainty and Change With New Partnerships and Approaches.” The program pairs a week-long case study session with four interactive online classes—covering leading change, collaborative governance, emotional intelligence, and policy and legal issues — and an online capstone where participants apply what they’ve learned to their own work challenges. This year’s case study, “Collaborative Governance in a Complex Situation: The Levee Ready Columbia Partnership,” examines how diverse partners came together to upgrade the flood protection system safeguarding greater Portland’s homes, businesses, habitat, drinking water, and Portland International Airport.

We invite agencies and organizations across the region to join us as ESP begins its next 50 years. For 2026-27, the ESP team is pleased to announce that qualified participants can earn 35.5 Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credits through the Oregon State Bar

Onboarding is straightforward. Sponsors select the fellowship that fits their needs and timeline, define a project scope, and pay a single sponsor fee — $11,816 for a summer fellow or $48,420 for a Hatfield resident (FY25–26 rates; federal rates vary). CPS matches you with a candidate and supports the placement from start to finish, giving your organization a low-cost, low-risk way to advance priority work while identifying talent for future recruitment.

Ready to invest in the next generation of public servants? Visit the CPS “Become a Sponsor” page to get started.

In May 2026, ten public sector participants completed the Certificate in Program Evaluation. This six-month virtual professional certificate program is intended to support public sector and nonprofit professionals in developing their public service careers, especially those who make programmatic decisions and report on impact to stakeholders. This long-standing program has served a unique role in professional development for nonprofit and government professionals, filling a critical need for program evaluation. The program guides participants through the program evaluation process using a culturally responsive and equitable evaluation framework. Participants complete the preparation and execution of an evaluation plan for each of their organizations. The certificate program opens applications in late fall and the fully online program will be offered again in early 2027.

"The Professional Certificate in Program Evaluation has been an amazing experience for me. I learned so much about evaluation, going way past the fundamentals. I found the material challenging, but I had supportive instructors and a friendly cohort. I will definitely use everything I learned as I move forward in my career."

- Carissa S, NE Oregon Area Health Education Center 

Community Environmental Services (CES), a key research and service unit within Portland State University’s Center for Public Service, continues its partnership with the Cities of Portland and Beaverton to enhance waste management equity across the region. 

Recent and Current CES Projects

City of Portland Single Family Weight Study: CES is evaluating and analyzing waste from single-family households across Portland. The data collected helps the city understand disposal patterns and refine its rate structures and composting initiatives.

City of Beaverton Recycling Contamination Reduction: CES provided support to the City of Beaverton to align with Oregon’s Recycling Modernization Act. This project focused on reducing contamination in recycling streams through targeted research and community engagement.

EPA Pollution Prevention (P2) Communities Grant: Led by Beth Gilden, this "Pollution Reduction through Safer Products Sourcing for Native American-Owned Businesses" project is a powerful collaboration with the Northwest Native Chamber and the Sustainable Procurement Leadership Council. The project is in its final months supporting Native-owned or serving businesses in their sustainable procurement goals.

The Waste Minimization Team manages composting, recycling, materials management, food donation, and outreach initiatives at PDX.

Our unique approach continues to thrive as we partner with agencies to solve organizational problems and build capacity. Recently, we successfully completed several high-impact consulting projects, including a marketing study and recommendations for the Oregon Health Authority Systems of Care, a targeted survey of residents and in-depth interviews to better understand rural Oregonian’s unique digital challenges and successes using E-Government Programs, and multiple compensation studies, including those for the cities of Silverton, Brookings, and North Bend.

We are proud of the ongoing success of our professional certificate and training programs. The 2025-26 Certificate in Tribal Relations will graduate 14 participants in August. The program included a Washington D.C. trip during the National Congress of American Indians, a regional policy experience at the ATNI Winter Convention, and a Tribal Nations trip in June. Meanwhile, CPS faculty and trainers have worked with multiple public service agencies to deliver Strengths-based Development, Transition Management, and Conflict Resolution training sessions, providing important professional development to individuals and teams

The Center for Public Service provides individuals and public sector and non-profit organizations access to the intellectual resources and practical experience of the Hatfield School of Government in order to improve governance, civic capacity and public management locally, regionally, nationally and around the globe.

This newsletter was created with the assistance of AI tools.