Skills & Experience

For the past five years I have served on the City of Camas Planning Commission where I have worked on developing recommendations to the City Council on land use matters such as conservation of the area’s natural beauty, maintenance of City infrastructure, and planning for development within city limits.

My service on the Planning Commission leverages my professional training as a civil engineer where I have managed large teams, built partnerships across agencies, and overseen large budgets for complex capital projects. I have a track record of listening to divergent viewpoints, finding common ground, building consensus, and crafting practical solutions.

Women with Vision Award Event 2022

Mahsa received a 2022 Women of Vision Award which honors women who are shaping the built environment in Oregon and Southwest Washington through technical skill, leadership, mentorship, community involvement, and promotion of industry diversity.

ACADEMIC CREDENTIALS

In 2012 I was awarded a Masters in Civil & Environmental Engineering with a concentration in Transportation from Portland State University. Prior to that, I earned a Bachelors in Civil Engineering from the University of Isfahan in Iran. 

I am a civil engineer and obtained my Professional Engineering (PE) license in 2011.  

SUMMARY OF RELEVANT ENGINEERING PROJECTS & EXPERIENCES

Managed and delivered scores of complex locally and federally-funded infrastructure projects in our region such as:

  • PFAS mitigation project, PDX International Airport

  • Improvements to sidewalks and increased accessibility, City of Washougal

  • Washington Way pavement and multi user access improvements, City of Longview

  • Harmony Sports Complex parking and access safety improvements, Clark County

  • Master planning of Vancouver Innovation Center (VIC)

  • Reed’s Crossing master planning and design of roadways and utility systems for developments to balance clients needs with jurisdictional standards,, Hillsboro

  • Main Street Promises and SE First Street improvements, that complied with city standards, City of Vancouver

  • Advocated for zoning with support for diverse housing options, such as urban villages, to make the city affordable for all life stages, City of Camas

  • Pavement preservation projects, throughout Clark County

  • Ward Road new roundabout improvements, Clark County 

  • 82nd Intersection traffic capacity and safety  Improvements, Port of Portland

LEADERSHIP

Integrity and Trust: My engineering management experiences have taught me the importance of integrity and trust.  When applied in the political arena, I would describe them as follows:

  • If you say to the firefighter union that you will support their request to replace outdated fire trucks, then you should not vote “No” when the funding request comes up. Likewise when you say you support public safety, you should not vote “No” to fund police training.

  • When you are elected to the City Council, you have a commitment to serve out that term, which means not chasing a higher elected office.

  •  When you are elected to the City Council, which is a nonpartisan entity, you have an obligation to leave any personal political leanings at the door. You should always be asking yourself,  “What decision is best for Camas?”

Building Consensus: There is a cost to obstruction. It wastes time, money and the delays cost taxpayers even more in the long run (think: I-5 bridge).  My five years on the Camas Planning Commission have shown me that while the political process requires lots of negotiations and compromise, as the saying goes, “A good compromise is better than a perfect standoff.”

Taking Ownership: I take ownership of my actions. You may not agree with my position on every issue. But rest assured that I do my homework, seek input from diverse groups, work towards finding common ground, and always do my best to chart a course that I believe is best for Camas.

VOLUNTEERISM & COMMUNITY SERVICE

Volunteerism is a wonderful opportunity to step outside of our daily lives and contribute to a cause greater than ourselves.

My volunteerism spans many domains, including:

  • City of Camas Planning Commission

  • Neighborhood HOA, treasurer

  • Lacamas Lake cleanup 

  • North Shore Subarea Advisory

  • K-12 mentor for STEM students

  • School projects in underserved neighborhoods