A Champion for Change: Diane Linn’s Job Search Success Story

Meet Diane Linn, director of the HOME Political Action Committee. In this job search success story, Diane shares how a lifetime of community-building and leadership roles led her to champion candidates for Portland’s historic 2024 City Council election.

What do you do for a career? Who do you work for? 

I’ve had a long and dynamic career with a focus on building community at the state and local level. At 65, I have landed in a place where I am facilitating the process of promoting candidates running for the historic new Portland City Council in 2024.

Homelessness and housing affordability are the top issues of the day, and nonprofits and advocates for low-income and people of color need a voice in the process. All my positions over the years led me to this role, which was like building blocks, especially having run for and served in public office.  

What do you like best about your career?  

I have been honored to lead many organizations, honing my leadership skills and following my passion to make neighborhoods, our city, and the state more just and affordable for all people.

Here are some of the highlights of my career:

• I started in the cable TV business, creating community programming and balancing budgets in the private sector.
• I served as Director of the Oregon NARAL, fighting for women’s right to choose. 
• I joined the City of Portland as bureau director of the Office of Neighborhood Associations, where I worked to empower community voices in decision-making.
• I ran for public office in 1998 and was elected to the Multnomah County Board of County Commissioners and, later, County Chair.
• I made same-sex marriage legal for the first time in 2004 and saw 3,000 couples marry.
• I expanded SUN Schools for kids, established smokeless workplaces, and collaborated extensively to provide services to our community’s most vulnerable citizens.  
• I moved to Marin County, California, and was Director of Ritter Center, a wrap-around service center for the low-income and homeless community for six years. There, I was exposed to the lives of homeless people and their stories.

I came back to Portland and was Director of Proud Ground for the past 10 years, working to provide permanently affordable homeownership to working families, mostly of color. All these experiences led me to the HOME PAC, where I work part-time. I also have two private consulting contracts to support nonprofits’ advocacy efforts.  

What resources have helped you in your career and your job searches? Are there specific tools or tactics that have contributed to your success? 

Family and friend support through extreme ups and downs allowed me to lean into challenging positions – mainly because I raised two children through many of these years. Knowing that my kids were safe and cared for was a critical piece of the puzzle. Networking and building trusting relationships with colleagues were also pivotal over the years.  

Throughout your career, what obstacles have you encountered when doing a job search, and how did you overcome them? 

Serving in public office was my most challenging role, as politics can be a blood sport. Sometimes, you have to get up, brush yourself off and move ahead. I had to be patient and keep the faith about my path forward. Through many job changes over the years, key people supported my searches and lifted me up when the going got tough. Follow through and perseverance can go a long way as you pursue new opportunities, and when one doesn’t work out, the right job is likely around the next corner. 

Over time, the four agreements served me well: Be impeccable with your word, don’t take anything personally, don’t make assumptions, and do your best! (Don Miguel Ruiz) 

What piece of advice would you give to job seekers or professionals trying to advance in their careers?

Keep your eye on the horizon – have a vision for what you want to do, and always promote working well with your co-workers and colleagues. A job is only as good as who you work with and for.  

Everyone’s job search story is different, but each individual story can inspire and empower others who are on their own unique path. We love to hear how our readers have found rewarding careers in Portland, and we want to share these stories with you to inspire you in your job search and to help us all better understand the local job market.