DemoForum with House Speaker Jeff Merkley, US Senate Candidate, Friday, May 9, Noon-1PM

Start: 05/09/2008 - 12:00pm
End: 05/09/2008 - 1:00pm

House Speaker Jeff Merley  Now in his fifth term, Jeff Merkley represents the people of House District 47 in Portland, is the Speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives.

Merkley was born in Myrtle Creek and spent his early childhood in Roseburg.  His family moved to Portland when he was in grade school.  At David Douglas High School Jeff ran cross-country, played tennis, and competed in public speaking.  He spent a summer in Ghana as an exchange student and was elected Student Body President by his classmates.

Merkley earned his undergraduate degree from Stanford University and pursued his Masters Degree in Public Policy on a full scholarship at the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University. He was selected as a Presidential Management Fellow in 1982. He tackled various assignments in the Office of the Secretary of Defense including coordinating a committee on technology transfer, developing a computer model to study the proposed “small ICBM”, generating a verification strategy for theater arms agreements, and assisting the US delegation to NATO.

Jeff then served Congress as a budget and policy analyst in the Congressional Budget Office, generating studies on the nation’s options for strategic weapons.

Merkley and his wife, Mary, returned to Oregon in 1991. His interest in community development led him to join Portland Habitat for Humanity as Executive Director. At Habitat he coordinated community volunteers to build homes for sale to low-income families. He also started the Walk for Humanity, launched development of the Habitat Home Building Centerand initiated a pilot project for “YouthBuild” in which gang-affected youth learn construction and life skills while building homes in their own neighborhoods.

DemoForum
The DemForum is a regular luncheon event featuring speeches by by Democratic and progressive officeholders and candidates.  The $11 cost includes a buffet lunch, tea, and gratuity. Reservations are required

To make a reservation:
e-mail: mariondemoforum@yahoo.com or call: 503-363-8392.  Give your name, phone number, any special dietary needs, and the number of people who will attend.  Please indicate that you are making a DemoForum reservation. 

To watch DemoForum on CCTV (local cable access):
Lloyd Kumley continues to record DemoForum luncheons for re-broadcast on
local cable access channel CCTV (channel 21).  The CCTV broadcasts of the DemoForum speeches are supplemented with an live interview of the speaker by local Democrat Jackie Main.

CCTV Broadcast times are:
Wednesdays - 5:00 PM
Fridays - 6:00 PM
Saturdays - 9:00 PM
Sundays - 10:00 PM