Eileen Brady (born 1961) is an American businesswoman who ran unsuccessfully for mayor of Portland, Oregon, in 2012.

Early life and career

Born in Chicago, Brady was the eldest of five children born to Charles, an attorney and businessman, and Susanne Brady, a

Democratic Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

community activist who served on the Evanston city council. Brady graduated from Evanston Township High School and then attended one year at Hampshire College. Along with several other students, she staged an anti-nuclear demonstration at The Pentagon, where she was arrested for damaging federal property and served 14 days in jail. Following her release, she enrolled at Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington, from which she would eventually graduate. In 1983, Brady married Tim O'Connor with whom she had two children.

Move to Portland

In 1986, Brady and her family moved to Portland, Oregon, where she and O'Connor both got jobs at Nature's Fresh Northwest, an organic grocery store, where she worked in several different jobs within the company. She and O'Connor divorced in the mid-1990s. She married Brian Rohter, another Nature's employee, in 1997. In 1995, Brady left Nature's and worked for several technology companies, eventually becoming a vice president at @Once, an email marketing company, in 1999. Brady is generally regarded as a co-founder of the Portland-based grocery chain New Seasons Market, although one other co-founder disputes this claim. Brady did not serve as an employee of the chain, which now has 18 stores, but claims to have helped develop its model: blending organic foods with conventional brands on the shelves. In 2001, she joined

Ecotrust Ecotrust is a nonprofit organization based in Portland, Oregon, working to create social, economic, and environmental benefit. History and programs Ecotrust was founded in 1991 by Spencer Beebe, who brought his conservation experience in the tro ...

as vice president of marketing and information services. She left the company in 2005.

Political career

In 2007, Governor Ted Kulongoski appointed her to the

Oregon Health Fund Board The Oregon Health Plan is Oregon's state Medicaid program. It is overseen by the Oregon Health Authority. History The Oregon Health Plan was conceived and realized in 1993 by emergency room doctor (and subsequent Oregon governor) John Kitzhab ...

, a panel created by the Oregon state legislature to develop reforms to Oregon's health care system. One panel proposal resulted in legislation that added health care for 85,000 children in the state in 2009. She considered a run for U.S. Senate in

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...

, but decided against it. She competed in the

2012 election This national electoral calendar for 2012 lists the national/ federal elections held in 2012 in all sovereign states and their dependent territories. By-elections are excluded, though national referendums are included. January *3–4 January: ...

for mayor of Portland and finished second runner-up.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Brady, Eileen 1961 births Living people Businesspeople from Chicago Businesspeople from Portland, Oregon Hampshire College alumni Businesspeople from Evanston, Illinois Evergreen State College alumni