Why are you running for city councilor, and what do you bring to the table that your opponents do not?
My name is Heather Robbins, and I’m proud to be your neighbor. I enjoy volunteering and giving back to the community, including our local government. My advocacy with OSPA at the state level underscored the critical role of local government in addressing community needs. What our city council does matters. I want to be part of the decision-making process for our community.
As a mother of two boys in our great public school system, and a Physician Associate (PA) at Adventist Health Portland in General Surgery, I understand the demands of managing multiple responsibilities and am an expert at prioritizing and multitasking. In addition to direct patient care, I serve as a member of the Medical Executive Committee, overseeing our providers and coordinating with hospital administration. I have served in a number of leadership roles, both professional and charitable, and I know how to work well with others to get things done.
While I work in healthcare now, I also have extensive business and communications experience. My varied professional and volunteer experience will allow me to serve my constituents well. I have a good understanding of the administrative process, including legislative processes at the state and federal levels. I have participated in numerous RFPs, including our recent RFP for the City of Tigard Audit contract. I have experience as a small business owner and community manager. I understand basic accounting and take fiduciary responsibility seriously. I believe I would be an asset to the city and a productive member of Tigard City Council.
What is your #1 priority, and what are you proposing we do about it?
My #1 priority is to increase public safety by addressing the opioid crisis in our community. My experience working in healthcare has exposed me to the daunting problem we face with drugs in our community. Fentanyl is killing our young people. It’s an incredibly dangerous, potent synthetic opioid. It is pervasive in the Portland Metro area, including in Tigard. It is cheap and easy to get. Even drugs that don’t look like Fentanyl, or aren’t supposed to be Fentanyl, likely contain it. Overdoses continue to put our citizens at risk.
As a city councilor, I will develop effective strategies, foster key partnerships, and advocate for essential resources to address and reduce the easy availability of Fentanyl to our children and families. We should continue to make sure that naloxone (Narcan) is readily available in our public schools and public buildings. I would like to create a partnership with local businesses to keep naloxone available and train their employees on how to administer it. Educating our community members about the dangers of this drug, and making take-home naloxone kits available to our citizens, will help keep our families safe.
I have secured several endorsements, including Ben Bowman, State Representative; Heidi Lueb, Tigard Mayor; Yi-Kang Hu, Tigard Council President; Karen Emerson, Tigard First Citizen 2024, former TTSD Board Member; and the Tigard Police Officers’ Association. I look forward to working for YOU as your city councilor.
For more information on Ms. Robbins’ campaign, visit HeatherRobbins.org.
