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New Interim City Manager for LO may be Lynn Peterson

Updated: 9 minutes ago


Mayor Buck on his Instagram feed this morning announced that Lynn Peterson may become LO's Interim City Manager. He went on to share...

From Mayor Joe Buck's Instagram feed
From Mayor Joe Buck's Instagram feed

I didn't recognize her name and apparently I should have:

  • She began her political career as a city councilor in Lake Oswego from 2003 to 2006.

  • She and her husband live here in LO with her husband and three Alaskan malamute dogs.

  • She is currently serving as Metro Council President (since Jan 2019). She explains on her LinkedIn profile "CEO of the only elected Regional Government in the United States," What does Metro do?

    • "Metro is the regional government for the Oregon portion of the Portland metropolitan area, covering portions of Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington counties. It is the only directly elected regional government and metropolitan planning organization in the United States.[2] Metro is responsible for overseeing the Portland region's solid waste system, general planning of land use and transportation, maintaining certain regional parks and natural areas, and operating the Oregon Zoo, Oregon Convention Center, Portland's Centers for the Arts, and the Portland Expo Center. It also distributes money from two voter-approved tax measures: one for homeless services and one for affordable housing."

    • Our former City Manager Martha Bennett held this CEO of Metro role prior to Lynn Peterson.

  • Lynn Peterson ran for Congress and then chose to pull out of the race.


Doing some internet research, the City Council will apparently vote on her candidacy at their March 10th meeting.

Not sure if there are other people being considered?


Update March 4:

LO Review article says "Peterson will serve as city manager pro tem until the search and hiring process is complete Lake Oswego Mayor Joe Buck appointed Lynn Peterson as city manager pro tem during the city council meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 4. Peterson has served as the Metro council president since 2019; her second term ends in 2027, and she previously served as the director of the Washington State Department of Transportation and as interim executive director of 1000 Friends of Oregon. “Lynn is no stranger to Lake Oswego. She’s been a resident and involved member of our community for many decades. When Lynn and I first talked about her taking this position, she only agreed to be considered because of how much she cares about our city and because her skills, relationships, and action-oriented pragmatism are directly aligned with many of our priorities and the ethos of our entire city team,” said Buck.



Several of our Old Town Neighbors shared very positive thoughts about Lynn taking on this new role:

"Wow!!  Lynn Peterson.  She must have a CV a mile long.  Yes, I've known her for years.  I've always liked her a lot, feel we're lucky to have her, and wish her all the best in her new position."


"Wow!  That’s fantastic news!  Yes, I know Lynn Peterson personally and also because she has been such an important figure in local politics.  She was on the LO city council when Doug Schmidt was the City Manager and Judy Hammerstad was Mayor.  It was a very good period when a lot of important projects were initiated and/or completed.  She has also been the Chair of Metro."


"I met Lynn last night at the city council meeting. She is / about to be was at Metro council and has a strong background in transportation. Her term with Metro will be up soon, hence the application. She is very personable."


"Yes I do know her. And like her very much. She has been in Portland government for awhile. She is youngest. And very smart and ambitious. And likes LO. "


What Neighborhood Association Chairs are sharing about Lynn Peterson

"I met her last night at the city council meeting - very positive 1st impression, she seemed eager to meet with our NA's."


Another Neighborhood Chair wrote to me, "I don’t know anything about Lynn but she did talk at the city council meeting last night. Here's the link 

Forward to the 1:09 minute mark on the video."


"Check out the Metro website.  She has been head of Metro in the past.  Before that she was a County Commissioner who got us set up with a charter so we were no longer a home rule group.  She is competent and very well connected."


"Lynn is well known and well liked within LO. We couldn’t do better."


"She’s wonderful! She (used to) live in first addition. I worked with her at least 20 years ago but haven’t for quite some time. "


Background Information about Lynn Peterson from public sources

As reported by KGW
As reported by KGW
As reported by The Oregonian
As reported by The Oregonian
She still has her Facebook account for Lynn Peterson for Congress
She still has her Facebook account for Lynn Peterson for Congress

Learn more about her on Her LinkedIn Profile

Which says "Lynn’s 30-year career in transportation and urban development exemplifies community-driven, people-first decision-making. A nationally recognized transportation expert, she has a unique ability to balance technical, political, and financial risks while prioritizing the needs of the communities she serves.


As former Secretary of the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and current CEO of Oregon Metro, Lynn has overseen the delivery of some of the nation’s most complex, multi-modal transportation megaprojects and emergency management. However, her true distinction lies in her commitment to ensuring that transportation projects benefit communities, not just in efficiency but in access, connectivity, and cultural preservation.


Early in her career, Lynn saw firsthand the negative impacts of transportation projects on communities—displacement and the destruction of cultural landmarks. She advocates for design processes that celebrate a community’s values and integrate them into the project, ensuring that it enhances rather than divides, while at the same time ensuring efficient and cost-effective delivery of a project. This philosophy is central to her bestselling book, Roadways for People, where she calls for a collaborative, community-centered approach to transportation planning. 


Beyond her project work, Lynn has advised Governors John Kitzhaber and Jay Inslee, shaping policies that integrate Practical Design and Solutions, climate action, racial equity, and economic development. Her efforts have influenced regional and national policies and projects. In 2024, she received the Albina Vision Trust “Heavy Hitter” Award for her work supporting the redevelopment of Portland’s Lower Albina neighborhood, a historically Black area. This recognition underscores her dedication to fostering equitable growth.


Through her systems-thinking approach and collaborative leadership, Lynn has not only reshaped transportation projects but also influenced broader culture change in organizations by empowering people at all levels of an organization to drive change. She does this by creating an environment where people feel valued, trusted and supported with training programs to guide team work to solve problems. Her leadership proves that with clear guidance on expectations, a transportation agency can effectively work with many interests through multiple vague and conflicting goals to achieve a product that leads with integrity and vision, instilling confidence in all stakeholders."


She also has a Wikipedia page

 
 
 

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