Why Simone?

Simone is a Certified Internal Auditor and Certified Government Auditing Professional with more than 15 years of public service experience.

She is deeply involved in the government auditing community. She is a past chair of the Association of Local Government Auditors and has been recognized for her outstanding leadership and contributions to the organization. She has also moderated sessions for auditors throughout the Pacific Northwest about maintaining audit integrity, and engaging stakeholders throughout the audit process. She served as a volunteer member of the Oregon Department of Corrections Audit Committee and was appointed to the U.S. Government Accountability Office’s Domestic Working Group, an advisory council to the Comptroller General of the United States.

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Simone brings a holistic and innovative approach to the position. As a principal management auditor at Metro, she audited major operations and investments, including the Oregon Zoo and the affordable housing bond program. Those audits recommended ways to improve organizational culture and fairness, as well as workload and budget management. She also audited issues across the agency, including diversity, equity, and inclusion, ethics, information security, and social media.

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Since she took Office, Simone has:

• Introduced a proposal to create a city transparency advocate position 

• Negotiated the first labor contract for employees in the Auditor’s Office

• Selected audit areas of concern for Portlanders, such as gun violence, the arts tax, and climate justice

• Released the first city audit of the Joint Office of Homeless Services

• Transferred the city's Hearings Office to the Auditor's Office

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Before she became an auditor, Simone worked with students in Portland-area alternative high schools to reduce barriers they faced to college. The experience motivated her to study public policy in graduate school at Carnegie Mellon University, after her undergraduate degree in urban studies from Vassar College.

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Simone began her auditing career at the Oregon Secretary of State Audits Division, where she conducted audits of Oregon’s childcare system and TriMet, the state’s transit provider.

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Simone is also deeply committed to improving economic conditions for Oregonians. She served on the board of the Oregon Center for Public Policy, a nonprofit organization that researches and analyzes tax and budget issues.

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Simone lives in North Portland and was raised in Northeast Portland. She is a proud parent to a new Portlander and recent graduate of Portland Public Schools. Her last name is pronounced "ready." She is ready to continue to uphold professional standards and use her expertise to ensure fair opportunities and effective use of tax dollars at the City of Portland.