Ted Talk's Fairview
Ted Tosterud is a longtime Fairview resident, former mayor, business owner, and community volunteer who has spent much of his professional and civic life solving problems, managing organizations, and serving his community.
Now retired, Ted brings together experience from business, science, local government, and community service. That combination has given him a practical perspective on how organizations work, how public money should be managed, and why decisions made at City Hall ultimately need to make sense for the people who live and work in the community.
Before retiring, Ted served as Director of Operations for Quest Diagnostics, bringing management and operational experience to one of the nation's major diagnostic laboratory companies.
Ted was also an entrepreneur and local business owner. He owned Northwest Medical Laboratories, Inc., with operations in Portland and Beaverton, as well as 25th & Lovejoy Pharmacy, Inc.
Running businesses taught Ted lessons that apply just as much to government as they do to the private sector: budgets matter, priorities matter, accountability matters, and every dollar spent should have a purpose.
Ted earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Portland State University. His scientific education helped shape an approach to problems that emphasizes facts, evidence, careful analysis, and asking questions before reaching conclusions.
Ted has extensive firsthand experience with Fairview city government, having served both as Mayor of Fairview and as a Fairview City Councilor.
His governmental experience also includes service on the Fairview Budget Committee and the Multnomah County Sheriff's Budget Committee. These roles provided Ted with a detailed understanding of municipal budgeting, public safety costs, city operations, and the financial decisions local governments must make on behalf of taxpayers.
During his time as mayor, Ted placed a strong emphasis on open government and public participation. When important issues faced the city, he believed residents deserved more than announcements or conversations taking place after decisions were already underway. He held numerous public meetings to give residents an opportunity to hear the facts, ask questions, express concerns, and provide input directly to their elected officials.
Ted continues to believe that transparency works best in the open. Social media can be useful for sharing information and encouraging discussion, but it should not replace public meetings where elected officials conduct the people's business, answer questions, listen to residents, and become part of the public record.
That experience also gives Ted historical perspective. He has seen Fairview through different councils, budgets, priorities, and challenges. When discussing issues facing the city today, he brings the perspective of someone who understands both how Fairview government works and how decisions made today can affect the community years into the future.
Ted's involvement in the community extends beyond government and business. He has volunteered with Zarephath Kitchen, an organization dedicated to helping provide meals and assistance to people in need.
Ted also served as treasurer of his church for more than 30 years, accepting the long-term responsibility of helping oversee the finances of an organization important to his community.
For Ted, community involvement has never been limited to holding public office. It is about participating, paying attention, helping where possible, and caring about what happens to the community around you.
Ted Talks Fairview is a place for Ted to share his perspective on the issues affecting Fairview, Oregon.
Some topics will involve city finances and public safety. Others may involve development, taxes, infrastructure, city services, or decisions being considered by local government. Sometimes Ted will agree with the direction the city is taking. Other times, he will question it.
The purpose isn't to suggest that Ted has every answer. It is to provide residents with another informed perspective, explain complicated local issues in understandable language, ask questions worth asking, and encourage people to pay attention to the decisions shaping Fairview's future.
After years in business, community service, and Fairview government, Ted still believes local government matters—and that open government, public participation, and an informed community make for a stronger Fairview.