Leveraging data and experience to deliver results
Most consultants bring a framework. I bring experience.
I’ve spent my career inside the institutions that shape public life in Oregon — leading a state criminal justice agency, running the largest prosecutorial office in the state, and working at the front lines of civil rights advocacy in Portland. I’ve managed budgets under pressure, navigated hostile political environments, made hard personnel calls, handled crises in real time, and guided organizations through change that not everyone wanted. I know what these challenges actually feel like from the inside — not from a case study.
That’s what I bring to consulting work.
Whether you’re an executive navigating a difficult moment in your organization, a candidate thinking seriously about running for office, or a public institution trying to find its footing in a complicated environment, I can help you think more clearly, move more strategically, and make better decisions.
Working with me won’t give you a generic playbook. What you’ll get is a genuine thought partner — someone who has been in rooms like yours, faced problems like yours, and come out with hard-won perspective worth sharing. I take on a limited number of engagements so I can be fully present for each one.
If you’re facing something consequential and want a candid outside perspective, that’s exactly what I’m here for.
Considering a run for office?
One of the most valuable conversations a prospective candidate can have is also one of the hardest to find: an honest, experienced sounding board before the campaign machinery kicks in.
I offer one-on-one consultations for people who are seriously considering a run — at any level. We'll talk through the real questions:
Is this the right time?
Building your kitchen cabinet
Selecting a consultant
Early strategy
Fundraising fundamentals
This isn't a campaign consulting retainer — it's a candid conversation with someone who's seen these races from multiple angles. You'll leave with clearer thinking and better questions, whatever you decide.
Executive consulting
Running a government agency or a large public institution is unlike anything else in the professional world. The stakes are high, the politics are real, the resources are never enough, and the margin for error is narrow.
I led organizations through hard budget decisions, difficult personnel situations, intense public and media pressure, and the kind of institutional complexity that no leadership book fully prepares you for.
What I can help with:
Government Relations
Crisis Communications
Budget Strategy
Leadership in Challenging Workplace Environments
Organizational Strategy and Reform
If you're facing something that feels hard to talk about with people inside your institution, that's often exactly the right moment to bring in an outside perspective.
The Schmidt Show PDX
The Schmidt Show PDX is a community project. It runs because people who care about Portland show up — as guests, as supporters, and as collaborators. Here's how you can be part of it.
Pitch a Story or Guest - If you think it belongs on the Schmidt Show, make the case.
Sponsor an Episode Sponsoring an episode is a way to support independent civic media while putting your organization in front of people who are paying attention.
Volunteer There's always work to do behind the scenes — editing, social media, research, show notes, outreach.
Co-host a Live Event The Schmidt Show is built for conversation — and some conversations are better in a room full of people. If you have a space, an audience, or an idea, let's talk.
