March 4, 2010

Dear Friends,

I am very pleased to welcome Maileen Hamto as Public Information Officer for thePortland Housing Bureau. At PHB, Maileen will manage and facilitate internal and external communications, including building relationships with traditional and social media influencers.

Maileen comes to us from United Way of the Columbia-Willamette, where she was responsible for media relations, creating the donor newsletter, and managing web content and social networking sites. She is also the publisher and producer of Colors of Influence, an online magazine that highlights local leaders of color in various industries and functions. Prior to United Way, she was part of the communications team at CareOregon, the state’s largest administrator of the Oregon Health Plan.

Her community involvement includes active membership in several boards, including the Asian Pacific American Chamber of Commerce of Oregon and SW Washington, the Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon, and the Colored Pencils Arts Collective.  

Immigrating with her family, Maileen moved to the United States from her native Manila in 1992. She holds an MBA from the University of Portland and a journalism degree from the University of Houston.

Maileen is the first point-of-contact for media inquiries concerning the Portland Housing Bureau. She can be reached by email at maileen.hamto@portlandoregon.gov or phone at (503) 823-3239.

Margaret Van Vliet, PHB Director