Sam Adams was elected Portland's 46th Mayor in May 2008 and was sworn in on January 1, 2009. Prior to being elected Mayor, Adams served four years as a Portland City Commissioner, earning a reputation as a "policy-driven" advocate for sustainability and transportation. He led the Council in progressive sustainable initiatives such as "Grey to Green," which allocated $50 million toward Portland's green infrastructure. More recently, Sam led City Council in supporting a successful TIGER grant application for $23 million in funding to redevelop South Waterfront's multi-modal transit connectivity while providing jobs.

Drawn to politics early in life, Sam worked as an intern for Congressman Peter DeFazio while attending the University of Oregon. He remained on DeFazio's staff until 1987 before going to work for the Oregon House Democratic Campaign Committee and then Democratic Majority Leader Carl Hosticka. Sam turned his focus to Portland in 1991, where he successfully managed Vera Katz's first campaign for mayor. At age 29, he began the first of 11 years as the youngest mayoral Chief of Staff in the city's history.

One of Adams' first actions as mayor was to merge Portland's Bureau of Planning with the Office of Sustainable Development, creating a cohesive Bureau of Planning and Sustainability and strengthening the work of both teams. The new bureau will increase Portland's prominent planning reputation by incorporating sustainability practices into the core of Portland's strategic planning and government operations.

Sam happily accepted the most recent SustainLane award for the nation's most sustainable city, but that doesn't mean he's satisfied. He vowed to continue striving, innovating and taking risks. Last year Sam worked with Council to approve the Climate Action Plan and the Five-year Economic Development Strategy to drive Portland's sustainable development, job growth, and competitive advantage in Clean Tech, Activewear, Software and Advanced Manufacturing. He hopes to soon call Portland the most sustainable city in the world and is working to grow it into the hub for the global green economy.