Photo taken by Andra Vltavín
Introduction
I am a queer, nonbinary candidate running for City Council in District 4. Having been involved in organizations such as Extinction Rebellion PDX and 350 PDX, I have heard climate activists ask our City Council time and time again for local climate regulations to no avail.
I started to wonder, why don’t we get climate activists on City Council?
I was born in Baker City, OR and grew up in Utah, but I knew I always wanted to come back to Oregon. I’ve lived in Portland for 10 years now, and I have never felt more at home. I am married to my lovely wife, Emily Vltavín, and we live in a house in South Burlingame with several housemates. Because I used to live in SE Portland in a rundown apartment complex near Reed College, I have an understanding of the issues SE Portland faces as well and can serve constituents in Sellwood, Reed, Eastmoreland, and Westmoreland fairly.
I took a few classes at Portland State University, intending to get a master’s degree in systems science, but unfortunately, it become cost prohibitive, so I re-entered the workforce.
Andra Vltavín (they/them)
(pronounced “volt-a-veen”)
Experience
My background is diverse, and I consider myself something of a Renaissance individual. I spent time as a postpartum doula, have experience in class action lawsuit documentation, and co-founded both an eco-friendly co-op and a nonprofit centering LGBTQ+ and BIPOC voices. I served on the board of the latter for several years and was the person responsible for all the filing paperwork to turn ideas into realities. I am no stranger to bureaucracy!
Most recently, I worked at SCRAP PDX as a DEI representative and donations intake specialist, specifically coordinating with local businesses to help them reduce the waste they put into the landfill. That background has made me very passionate about reuse, sanitation, public education, and waste management.
Volunteer/Activist Work
Recently, I volunteered through Growing Gardens at the Columbia River Correctional Facility, which was a deeply humanizing and humbling experience. The incarcerated individuals I helped during that time represent some of the most caring and generous people I have ever met. I will never forget being moved after an inmate cried for the tiny radishes after learning how to thin them out. There is such a deep respect for life even in the darkest places. I was devastated to learn about the lack of privacy the incarcerated individuals have even when they use the bathroom, and as such, it has made me very sympathetic to that population.
I currently have a presence in both Extinction Rebellion PDX and 350 PDX coordinating the strategy behind our art and how it can move people to action. I participate regularly in protests advocating for climate responses as well as pro-Palestinian rallies.
Currently, I am an active member of the South Burlingame Neighborhood Emergency Team (SBNET) with interests and experience in disaster sanitation and first aid. We’ve got to be ready for that big earthquake!
Additionally, I co-curate a set of self-guided rituals with a dear friend of mine.
