Susheela Jayapal
Susheela’s professional life has spanned the private, non-profit, and government sectors. An immigrant, Susheela was born in India and came to the United States to go to college at the age of 16. She was a litigator at private firms in San Francisco and Portland; served as General Counsel for adidas America, Inc; and has served on a wide range of non-profit boards including Planned Parenthood of the Columbia-Willamette, Literary Arts, the Regional Arts and Culture Council, and Metropolitan Family Service. In 2018, she was elected to the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners, and served on the Board from 2019 to 2023. As Commissioner, Susheela secured wage increases for nonprofit workers on the front lines of the homelessness crisis; created structures for improving services to immigrants and refugees; strengthened policy around clean air; and championed services for survivors of domestic violence and sex trafficking. Susheela lives in Northeast Portland, has two children who graduated from Grant High School, and enjoys spending time hiking in the Columbia Gorge, reading, playing tennis, and regularly traveling back to India to visit her parents.