Commission Chair Bob Van Brocklin
Bob Van Brocklin is a retired partner in the Portland office of Stoel Rives LLP, Oregon's largest law firm. He was a lawyer at Stoel Rives for 35 years and is the firm's past Firm Managing Partner and CEO. Prior to becoming Firm Managing Partner, he chaired the Firm's Real Estate, Development and Environment Practice Group. Governor Kate Brown appointed Bob to the OTC in 2017, appointed him Chair of the Commission in 2019, and reappointed him to the Commission in 2021. Bob has served on the boards of the Portland Business Alliance, the University of Oregon School of Law, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, the Portland Schools Foundation, Portland Center Stage, United Way's Annual Fund Campaign, the Oregon Symphony Association, the Armory Theater Fund, and co-chaired Portland school bond measure campaigns, among other leadership roles. He has written reviews for The Oregonian on books on American history and government, including leading biographies. He has also served on for-profit corporate boards. Prior to joining Stoel Rives in 1986, Bob worked on the professional staff of the United States Senate Committee on Commerce Science and Transportation and in senior leadership at the City of Portland. He was born in Montana and raised and educated in Oregon.
Commission Term
11/17/2017 to 6/30/2021, 7/1/2021 to 6/30/2025
Commission Vice Chair Julie Brown
Julie Brown has served as the general manager for the Rogue Valley Transportation District for 15 years, part of 26 years of experience in the transportation world. Brown served as the president of the Oregon Transit Association and has served on a number of ODOT committees, including the Oregon Transportation Safety Committee and chair of the Public Transportation Advisory Committee. Since 2018, she also serves as a Board Member to the Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA).
Commission Term
9/28/2018 to 6/30/2020, 7/1/2020 to 6/30/2024
Commissioner Sharon Smith
Sharon serves a commissioner on the Oregon Transportation. She is the Chair of the Continuous Improvement Advisory Committee and the Commission liaison to the Equity and Mobility Advisory Committee which is committed to developing the tolling program though an equity lens. Sharon is an attorney providing legal services for Bend-La Pine Schools. She advises Bend-La Pine Schools regarding land use, real estate, procurement, contracting, policies, public records and meetings laws and general education law. She has been the lead attorney on all aspects of Bend-La Pine Schools' Bond program for school construction and renovation for the last 30 years. During that time she has helped develop 17 new schools and numerous renovations and safety improvements.
Prior to devoting her time to Bend-La Pine Schools exclusively, she was a shareholder at Bryant, Lovlien & Jarvis, PC. In private practice from 1991 to 2017, she represented both private development interests as well as public entities. She has extensive experience in working with transportation system plans, transportation engineers, and planners.
Commission Term
9/1/2019 to 6/30/2023
Commissioner Lee Beyer
Lee Beyer recently retired from the Legislature after serving for three decades in State Government. He represented Oregon Senate District 6 in the Legislature from 2011to 2023. During this time Beyer served as Chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee. He previously served in the Legislature 1991 – 2001 before being appointed by Gov. Kitzhaber to the Oregon Public Utlity Commission. Upon his retirement from the Legislature, Gov. Brown appointed Beyer to the Oregon Transportation Commission.
Beyer retired as Chairman of the PUC in 2010 after serving for nine years. During his time on the PUC, Beyer also served on the Oregon Global Warming Commission and the Governor's Energy Planning Council. In his professional capacity, Chairman Beyer also served as Vice-Chairman of National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) Electricity Committee, as a member on the NARUC Critical Infrastructure Committee and Climate Change Task Force and as a member of the national Electric Power Research Institute's Advisory Council and as a Director of the Western Electricity Coordinating Council, Inc.
Prior to his appointment to the PUC, Senator Beyer worked professionally for over 25 years in business and industrial development. Prior to his legislative service Beyer served 6 years on the Springfield City Council. Outside of government, Beyer has also served on a wide variety of state, community, and private boards and committees. Beyer and his spouse, former State Representative Terry Beyer, have three grown children and have lived in Springfield for over 50 years.
Commission Term
1/1/2023 to 6/30/2025