Dr. Paul Leistner is a senior fellow at the Center for Public Service (CPS) at Portland State University and a co-author of the CPS research report, “Building Local Government Capacity for Community Engagement: A Survey of the Field of Practice in Oregon (2023). Paul served for nearly ten years as the City of Portland neighborhood program coordinator, supporting capacity building in Portland neighborhood associations, training city staff, and helping city staff and community members work together effectively. Paul has taught a graduate-level community engagement class in the Hatfield School of Government at PSU. Paul has partnered in research projects with community engagement researchers in countries around the world. Paul currently trains and consults with neighborhood associations and community-based organizations on organizational governance and strategic planning. Paul has a BA from Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, California, an MPA from the Evans School of Public Policy and Governance at the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington, and a PhD in Urban Studies from Portland State University in Portland, Oregon. Paul’s PhD dissertation reviewed and evaluated the lessons learned from the 40-year evolution of Portland, Oregon’s citywide community and neighborhood engagement system.