Miller says Adams pursued an extremely ambitious agenda. "Sam expected a lot from himself, and by extension his team," he says. "As chief of staff, I built a team that could deliver on his agenda. It's no surprise many of those team members are now in roles of civic leadership in Portland and beyond. There were moments of difficulty, to be sure. The pace could be extraordinary. But we were—and still are—grateful for the opportunity to support such a talented and driven individual who was always pushing Portland to achieve its potential."