State of the Westside Speaker Bio

Council President Juan Carlos González – Metro

After graduating from Forest Grove High School, President González studied government and economics at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. When it was time to decide what came next, he came home.

He joined Centro Cultural, a Cornelius-based nonprofit that removes barriers for Latino families and diverse communities, building their well-being, their power and their long-term prosperity. Beginning as a program coordinator in 2015, he worked his way up to eventually serving as Chief Strategy Officer. Four years later, he decided to balance that work with elected leadership and represented District 4 (Beaverton, Hillsboro, Forest Grove, Cornelius) from 2019-2026.

In May 2026, the region’s voters elected him to a four-year term as Metro Council President, but his work began sooner than expected. His fellow Councilors appointed him to the vacancy created when then-President Lynn Peterson stepped down.

He stepped down from Centro, resigned his council seat and began the full-time work of representing 1.7 million people across 24 cities and three counties.

“This region deserves leaders who show up every day and put in the work. I’m honored to be one of them, and I believe we’re building something bigger than any one of us, a greater Portland that finally lives up to what we know it can be,” he said.

“I want my daughter to live in a region where everyone can afford a home, with living wage jobs, safe streets and good transit. I want her to inherit a place where our beautiful nature is protected, where we lead the nation on climate, and where we never stop dreaming of what is possible. I want her to live in a region she loves, and that loves her back. That’s the region we’re building, one that is affordable, welcoming and competitive for every family who calls it home.”

Throughout his career at Metro, he has focused on affordability, expanding access to housing and good jobs; belonging, building a region where every community has a voice; and competitiveness, positioning greater Portland to lead on transportation, climate and economic opportunity. At Metro, he currently chairs the Supportive Housing Services Regional Policy Oversight Committee (SHS RPOC) and Future Vision Commission.

González lives in the Oak Hills neighborhood in Beaverton with his wife, Lorena, and baby daughter Sofia.