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Last year, Portland Mayor Charlie Hales raised eyebrows when he decided to spend $56,000 on diversity training for white male leaders at the top of city government.
The "White Men as Full Diversity Partners" session took place over 3 1/2 days at a golf resort near Mt. Hood.
Last week, Commissioner Amanda Fritz hosted a women-only session for top female leaders in city government.
The venue and the cost were far more modest, but what exactly the women talked about is a secret as far as Fritz is concerned. She declined to answer WW's questions about the topics of discussion or purpose of the session, which pulled several female bureau leaders from their offices on Friday, Nov. 13.
"There's nothing remarkable about it," Fritz told WW.
Fritz did disclose the location—and it wasn't a golf resort. The women met at the Ambridge Event Center on Northeast Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
A call to Ambridge revealed a group called DS Consulting —a "woman-owned conflict management and consensus building firm"—rented the space for about 10 people.
Tim Crail, Fritz's chief of staff, says his office will pay DS Consulting no more than $4,500 but probably closer to $3,500 for the retreat.
But what happens in women's group stays in women's group, apparently.
Willamette Week
