Nick Fish names Sonia Schmanski as next chief of staff
Updated Jan 09, 2019; Posted Mar 16, 2015
By Andrew Theen | The Oregonian/OregonLive
Portland Commissioner Nick Fish
City Commissioner Nick Fish
Portland Commissioner Nick Fish named Sonia Schmanski, a longtime employee who rose through the ranks in his office from receptionist to policy director, as his next chief of staff.
"I have great confidence in her," Fish said Monday. He formally offered Schmanski, 30, the chief of staff position last week.
Schmanski, a Portland native and graduate of Grant High School, takes over for longtime Fish adviser Hannah Kuhn. Schmanski is Fish's fourth chief of staff, the top policy position and chief adviser to the elected official.
Fish described Schmanski as loyal, respected, hardworking and successful at building relationships with people inside and outside City Hall. She has advised Fish on housing, land use, transportation and other key policy decisions.
Schmanski, a graduate of Boston University with a degree in international relations, said she's thrilled with the promotion. "I feel lucky every day that I get to work in this building, in my hometown for this city," she said.
She first joined Fish's staff in October 2008 as a temporary front desk person and was eventually moved over to a full-time position. After that, Schmanski became a policy director, advising Fish on Water Bureau issues.
"She's literally homegrown and she's earned this position," Fish said.
In the past month, Schmanski participated in job interviews with outside candidates for the chief of staff job. A couple of weeks ago, she said, Fish started discussing the possibility of a promotion.
Schmanski said she's excited to dive into the job as the budget season heats up. According to a press release issued Monday morning, Schmanski is a sixth-generation Oregonian.
With Schmanski's promotion, Fish's office remains down one key position.
A commissioner's chief of staff salary starts at $84,198 and goes as high as $111,925, according to city documents. Schmanski's salary is $90,000 per year, according to city officials.
-- Andrew Theen
atheen@oregonian.com