Skip to main content
In an email sent to coworkers on Oct. 19, Multnomah County chief human resources officer Travis Brown said he had resigned to “prioritize my and my family’s health and to dedicate time to other professional endeavors.”
Five weeks before, one of his colleagues filed a formal complaint against Brown, alleging “toxic leadership behaviors” and “disrespectful and harmful behavior,” according to a copy of the complaint obtained by WW through a public records request.
“Brown often speaks disparagingly of our peers to us,” the complaint says. “It is also my belief that there are other central HR managers and staff who’ve experienced harm or uncomfortable/unprofessional interactions with Brown but have not come forward for fear of retaliation in the current HR/budget environment.”
The name of the person making the complaint was redacted in WW’s copy. The person requested an investigation of Brown’s alleged behavior.
Multnomah County is in the midst of making budget cuts because of lower tax revenue and less assistance from the federal government, the state and Metro.
Adding to the stress, county HR departments are under pressure from commissioners to centralize their functions to eliminate overlap and cut costs. Commissioner Meghan Moyer earlier called on the county’s chief operating officer to “reimagine HR in Multnomah County” and eliminate eight HR positions, or their fiscal equivalent.
The person complaining about Brown said they were “directly involved in a particularly difficult situation” with another employee who had taken “an enormous pay cut” to work in the county health department “so she no longer has to report to Brown.”
Brown didn’t return emails seeking comment.
In the email he sent on Oct. 19, Brown said he had been on medical leave for the week and would likely remain so until Jan. 16, his last day at Multnomah County.
Brown became the county’s head HR officer in 2022, according to his LinkedIn profile. He is the latest in a line of county employees who have departed in the past year.
Chief diversity and equity officer Joy Fowler left for a job in Vancouver, Wash., in May. Dan Field, head of the Homeless Services Department, retired in June. Leslee Barnes, director of preschool and early learning, resigned in July after WW reported that she owned a preschool that collected more than $800,000 from the state in two recent fiscal years to enroll only nine children in the same period.
“It is with gratitude and a mix of emotions that I inform you of my decision to resign,” Brown said in his email. “I extend my sincere gratitude to Chair Jessica Vega Pederson, the Board of County Commissioners, COO Chris Neal, and deputy COO Travis Graves for their leadership, trust and support.”
Prior to joining Multnomah County, Brown spent less than a year as associate vice president of employee and labor relations at Oregon Health & Science University, according to his LinkedIn profile. From 2017 to 2022, he was chief human resources officer at Mt. Hood Community College.
