Bob Cozzie, the longtime director of Portland’s 911 system, will remain the city’s top official overseeing police, fire and emergency communications following a national search, officials announced Thursday.
Cozzie, 59, has served as interim deputy city administrator for public safety since June, when he succeeded departing public safety chief Mike Myers.
Two other finalists had been in the running for the high-profile job, multiple City Hall sources told The Oregonian/OregonLive: Kezia Wanner, a former deputy director at Portland Fire & Rescue and current chief of staff to Portland City Councilor Dan Ryan; and Karrie Howard, the former public safety director in Cleveland, Ohio.
Mayor Keith Wilson and City Administrator Michael Jordan jointly held a final round of interviews with all three candidates, said Cody Bowman, a city spokesperson. Jordan, who plans to step down from his post by the end of this year, made the ultimate call.
“Bob is a longtime public safety leader with over 30 years of experience,” Jordan said in a statement Thursday. “He also brings the deep trust and respect of our public safety staff, a heart for public service, and a compelling vision for public safety. He has expressed – and demonstrated – his eagerness to serve as a bridge between community, staff, elected officials and administrative leadership here at the city.”
Cozzie has worked for public safety agencies in Colorado and Oregon, including a dozen years as director of Clackamas County 911. He took the helm of the Portland Bureau of Emergency Communications in 2018 after its previous director falsified data to cover the agency’s failure to answer calls on time.
For much of Cozzie’s tenure, the bureau saw 911 call wait times climb amid the pandemic and its destabilizing aftermath. Yet city leaders have also credited him with playing a central role in rebuilding Portland’s diminished ranks of emergency dispatchers and bringing call wait times back down in recent years.
As the city’s top public safety official, Cozzie will oversee about 2,000 city workers, including members of the Office of Violence Prevention, Portland Street Response and the Portland Bureau of Emergency Management.
He will earn an annual salary of $275,808, according city officials.
“Bob Cozzie is a trusted leader with decades of experience and a strong commitment to public service,” Wilson said. “I’m confident he will help move Portland’s public safety efforts forward and continue to build strong connections across our city.”
