Past Chair Patti Milne is a small business owner who was first elected to the Board of Commissioners in 1999. She ranks her top priorities in county government as public safety and economic development. She led an effort to declare through a board resolution in January that agriculture has a high priority in economic development in Marion County.
As chair of the Public Safety Coordinating Council, Commissioner Milne has led a vigilant review of the recent Governor’s Commission on Public Safety advocating that any cost savings in Oregon’s prisons must be retained in the public safety field, not shifted to other areas of state government. Her initiative, “Making Our Communities Safe, Strong & Successful,” has helped reduce neighborhood meth labs and gang activity while strengthening community relationships. Together with Volcanoes Baseball, Patti created the popular annual “Striking Out Meth in Marion County” event that celebrates and recognizes community efforts in the fight against meth and other dangerous drug abuse. The eighth annual event is set for Friday, July 26 this year.
Commissioner Milne served three terms as a state representative in the Oregon legislature, serving as Majority Whip in 1995. Prior to that, she was elected to a four-year term on the Woodburn School Board. Commissioner Milne is a strong community supporter serving on many boards and commissions such as the Positive Aurora Airport Management group, Detroit Lake Recreation Area Business Association, and the Federal Lakes Recreation Committee at Detroit Lake. She serves currently on the SEDCOR Board of Directors and Executive Board, and is a member of the Northwest Senior and Disabilities Services Board of Directors. She has been actively involved at Blanchet Catholic School since its inception and now serves on the President’s Advisory Board. She is a long-time Woodburn Rotarian and member of the Woodburn Chamber of Commerce.