December 06, 2003
More On Kimbrough's Departure From The Portland Business Alliance
Today's Oregonian offers its own look at the sudden departure of Kim Kimbrough from the top spot at the Portland Business Alliance:
The downtown-based Association for Portland Progress hired Kimbrough as its president more than three years ago from a similar post in St. Louis. Kimbrough became president of the alliance when the association merged last year with the Portland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce.
In both positions, Kimbrough's frequent public criticisms of the city's business climate marked a sharp break from the traditionally cliquish and consensus-first bonhomie between Portland's corporate and political leadership.
"He definitely had an antagonistic approach to his advocacy, and it was a new element to Portland politics," said Portland Commissioner Erik Sten. "Kimbrough's approach is very common in most big cities. Those just aren't cities I want to emulate."
Reporter Henry Stern gets the answer to the one question that I most wanted answered:
Pat LaCrosse, former head of the Portland Development Commission, will serve as interim head of the 1,500-plus member alliance for about 90 days. The alliance will form a search committee to begin evaluating candidates for a permanent replacement. [Alliance chairman Ken] Novack said a local hire would be preferable for reasons that include familiarity and cost.
So, presuming no one bungles the search, we could at least (finally) have someone heading the PBA who actually has some sense of what Portland means. As an example of Kimbrough's cookie-cutter approach, I was reminded recently as I read through the print edition of the first half of the first year of PORTLAND COMMUNIQUE that Kimbrough, in each of his previous two business-boosting positions elsewhere, he pimped municipal ice rinks as some sort of downtown salvation. In at least one such instance, the rink closed due to costs.
Then again, my personal pick for president of the PBA -- Jim Francesconi -- also supproted the Pioneer Courthouse Square ice rink proposal, so maybe support for that isn't quite limited to outsiders. But I still find it interesting that Kimbrough tries it wherever he goes.