JONATHAN HOUSE/PORTLAND TRIBUNE - Multnomah County Sheriff Mike Reese speaks to reporters about his support of Oregon's sancutary law during a news conference in 2018. 

Mike Reese will bring more than 30 years of experience, including time as Portland police chief and Multnomah County sheriff, as the new director of the Oregon Department of Corrections.

Gov. Tina Kotek announced his appointment on Tuesday, Oct. 24. The agency has been without a permanent director since August 2022, when Colette Peters was named director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons within the U.S. Department of Justice. Peters had held her state position for a decade, and outgoing Gov. Kate Brown left the vacancy to her successor.

Kotek’s statement:

“I am grateful to Acting Director Heidi Steward stepping up to lead and staying the course through the pandemic. I have confidence in incoming Director Reese’s ability to bring a clear vision and advance the organizational and cultural changes needed to bring forward the next chapter at DOC. He has an unparalleled record within the public safety sector for being a collaborator and a problem solver, guided by justice, equity, and a commitment to uphold the public’s trust.”

Reese’s appointment is subject to confirmation by the Oregon Senate, which is scheduled to meet in early November.

Reese is not the first former law enforcement officer to lead the agency, which gained department status in 1987 after having been a division within the Department of Human Services, then known as Human Resources.

Fred Pearce was Multnomah County sheriff in 1989 when then-Gov. Neil Goldschmidt appointed him after the murder of Michael Francke, the first director. Pearce retired in 1992.

Dave Cook was Benton County (Corvallis) sheriff when then-Gov. John Kitzhaber appointed him in 1995. Cook retired in 2002.

Pearce and Cook served when the agency greatly expanded the number of prisons in Oregon. The agency has scaled back capacity in recent years.

Reese began his law enforcement career in 1989 as a Multnomah County sheriff’s deputy. Five years later, he went to the Portland Police Bureau, where he rose to chief in May 2010 and retired in December 2014. Reese was elected sheriff in 2016 and retired in 2022. He oversaw Oregon’s largest jail with an annual budget of $175 million and 800 employees.

The Department of Corrections houses about 12,000 adult inmates at 12 prisons. Its current two-year budget is $2.3 billion — virtually all of it from the tax-supported general fund — and its 4,750 full-time positions make it fourth among state agencies. Only the Oregon Health Authority, Department of Human Services and Department of Transportation have larger workforces and budgets — and all of those agencies get most of their money from sources other than the general fund.

The 2023 Legislature added $8.7 million and 33 positions within the agency budget for a pilot program of substance abuse treatment at Oregon State Penitentiary in Salem and Snake River Correctional Institution in Ontario, the largest prisons in the system.

Reese’s statement, attached to the governor’s announcement:

“As DOC director, I will do my very best to lead this department, our staff, and adults in custody towards better outcomes. The Department of Corrections is a core pillar of our public safety system. Our ability to adequately rehabilitate adults in custody and recruit, train and retain a skilled workforce driven by accountability, integrity and professionalism has a direct impact on Oregon communities and I am resolved to ensure these standards are met.”

Reese holds two degrees from Portland State University, a bachelor of science in psychology and an executive master’s in public administration. He also attended the Drug Unit Commanders Academy of the Drug Enforcement Administration and the FBI National Executive Institute. Reese has held paid and volunteer positions for nonprofits, including working as a counselor, director and later serving as a board member of the Boys and Girls Club of Portland. He has also served as a board member of Transition Projects, the Irvington Community Association and the First Christian Church.