The Hilton Portland Downtown will host the 2024 Council of State Governments West annual meeting next July.

PENDLETON — Oregon Sen. Bill Hansell isn’t seeking reelection in 2024, but the longtime politician isn’t ready to coast to the finish line.

The Athena Republican, who represents Senate District 29 which includes Wallowa and Union counties, will chair the Council of State Governments West during its 2024 annual meeting in Portland.

“It’s an honor to serve in an organization like (Council of State Governments West),” said Hansell, who will serve as the organization’s president for 2024. “I think it brings value to be involved in them and it helps me be a better legislator because I can have access to a lot of opportunity I normally wouldn’t have had.”

Council of State Governments West, based in Sacramento, California, provides state legislators and legislative staff with relationship building and professional growth opportunities through a variety of member-driven, regionally focused programs and services.

During his time in the Oregon Legislature, Hansell has been active with the council at the national and regional levels, including as a past chair of the CSG West Agriculture and Water Committee and the CSG Future of Work National Task Force.

He is currently the chair of the CSG’s West Legislative Council on River Governance, a program that brings together policymakers from the Columbia and Snake River basins. Established in 1998, the Legislative Council on River Governance is a cooperative, bipartisan program comprised of state legislators from Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington. Through collaborative efforts, members can exchange information and identify solutions to address the challenges and opportunities along the Columbia and Snake River basins.

Hansell was elected by the CSG West Executive Committee to serve as an officer of the organization, commencing as vice chair in 2022.

Hansell said two years ago as the COVID pandemic was winding down, the chairman position, which rotates between both political parties, was coming open and he was encouraged to throw his hat into the ring.

“At the conference in Colorado, I appeared before the nominating committee (for vice president). I had another Republican, one of three, I think, in the entire Hawaiian Legislature, threw her hat in the ring,” he said. “Knowing that the president would have the final say on where the convention would be during their office, I was up against a real challenge.”

Hansell said that the usual practice is for the chairman to bring the annual meeting to their home state — so it came down to Hawaii or Portland.

“Portland did not have a very good reputation nationally at all at that time,” he said. “It still isn’t real great, but a little better. So, the question became, for a lot of people, do we want to go to Hawaii, or do we want to go to Portland in 2024?”

Hansell said a colleague from Oregon heard the discussion and said, “Hey, we’re not selecting the site. We in Oregon aren’t going to bring you someplace that isn’t safe, but we’re looking at the quality of the individual that’s going to lead this organization.”

The reminder worked and Hansell was later ratified as vice president. He moved into the chair-elect during last year’s convention in Boise, Idaho. Hansell’s turn as chairman is the first time an Oregon legislator will lead the council since then-Sen. Kate Brown, D-Portland, did so 14 years ago.

“We are at the longest period of time of not having a particular state legislator in the CSG rotation, I think,” he said. “Usually, they come sooner.”

Hansell, who won election to the Umatilla County Commission eight times before moving to the Oregon Senate in 2013, said there was no question he was going to bring the annual meeting back to Oregon. Five proposals were received — three from Portland, one from Eugene and one from Sunriver — before settling on the Hilton Portland Downtown.

“If I can help (Portland) recover or get back the way they were, I want to do that,” he said. “My colleagues were kind of concerned about coming to Oregon. Whether or not Portland could handle it. Whether or not Portland was ready for it. Portland’s trying. Portland’s struggling. It’s our major city.”

The 77th annual meeting — titled “Explore the Extraordinary” — is slated for July 9-12, 2024. And while Portland will play host for the event, the focus will decidedly be on all of Oregon. Hansell had a promotional video made that highlights some Oregon landmarks, including some key ones from the eastern side of the state.

“With the video, I decided why don’t we promote this part of the state as well,” he said. “I got the Oregon Wheat Growers League to send some pictures of wheat harvest. Round-Up and Happy Canyon sent me some videos. We filmed it here in the area.”

The promotional video will make its debut at the 2023 annual meeting in the fall. The event, which was originally scheduled for Aug. 1-4 for the Sheraton Universal Hotel, Universal City, California, was postponed due to the ongoing labor dispute and strike by hotel workers.

“What I’ve been told is that they’re looking for a venue in November someplace,” Hansell said. “Hopefully, we can stay at the same location. I honestly don’t know what this will mean litigation-wise. We’ve made a lot of investment as an organization into the site, paid for speakers and all sorts of deposits and room blocks and guarantees and contracts. All that’s got to be worked out in the meantime.”