Commissioner Janet Carlson was elected to the Board of Commissioners in November 2002 and re-elected in 2006 and 2010. Her accomplishments as commissioner include restructuring the Marion County Children & Families Commission, working with the Fair Board to promote the county fair, leading the 150 Miles for 150 Years countywide relay, coordinating grant writing efforts resulting in two federal Second Chance Act grants and a U.S. Department of Labor grant for reentry services in Marion County, and raising community awareness around prisoner reentry and the need for community volunteers and mentors.
Commissioner Carlson serves as immediate past president of the Association of Oregon Counties with an important role in representing county issues to the state legislature. A summa cum laude graduate of Willamette University, Commissioner Carlson taught French and social studies in public schools for ten years, was a budget analyst for the State of Oregon, and served as budget director and regional coordinator for the Oregon Commission on Children and Families.
She was awarded a Ph.D. in education and public policy from the University of Oregon in 1997. She also worked as a consultant with public and nonprofit agencies, specializing in children and families policy, planning and evaluation. Janet served as a state representative in the Oregon legislature in 2001-02. Janet and her husband Dee live in Salem, have three children and three grandchildren.