- Matt Davis
- David Bragdon, in a fen, circa 2009
Most of the people I've talked with have floated two ideas:
1) He's going to run for mayor in 2012
2) He's going to become a consultant and make boatloads of money.
But the new very-exciting rumor from a solid source is that Bragdon is going to fly the Portland coop altogether to take a top job for the city of New York. The job Bragdon's reportedly got his eye on is the director of the office of long-term planning and sustainability. This would put Bragdon in charge of administering Plan NYC, the city's exciting plan to cut the city's impact on the environment by planting a million trees, promoting biking and pushing congestion pricing, among other ambitions.
I reached Bragdon for comment on Tuesday night and he would not say whether he was pursuing the job, but did confirm that he is currently in New York City and is meeting on Wednesday with the mayor's office.
Bragdon has roots in NYC, having grown up on the Upper East Side. In fact, Bragdon saw both the first and last games played at Shea Stadium.
UPDATE: It's official! Or, as Metro's press release says, "Bragdon will leave office four months early, capping legacy of sustainability and collaboration." Mayor Bloomberg has hired Bragdon away from Portland and is putting him in charge of the long term planning and sustainability office. When there's nowhere to advance in Portland, move to New York, right? Bragdon says this is his dream job, but it also means he'll be cutting out on his current job as Metro President on September 7th. That gives Metro just three weeks to find a new president. Cue freak out!
Bragdon's thoughts on the new job, plus what this means for Metro, below the cut.