Carmen Rubio is a Portland nonprofit leader and former elected official with more than two decades of experience in public service and community advocacy. She is the daughter and granddaughter of Mexican immigrants who came to Texas and New Mexico as migrant workers starting in Texas, and New Mexico, and seasonally throughout the southwest and northern California and Pacific Northwest, eventually permanently in Washington County, Oregon.

Rubio began her career in the offices of Multnomah County Commissioner Serena Cruz, Portland Mayor Tom Potter, and Portland City Commissioner Nick Fish, serving as a policy advisor and working to engage Portlanders on critical issues and make local government more accessible and responsive to all communities. In 2009, she was tapped as the executive director of Latino Network, an organization that advocated for Portland’s growing Latiné community. Over the next 12 years, the organization grew to provide critical education and support services that positively transformed the lives of Portland’s Latiné youth and families.

In 2020, Rubio won election to the Portland City Council, becoming the first Latiné commissioner in its history. She served a four-year term, during which she was known as a bridge-builder and consensus-driven leader respected by progressive advocates, community organizations and business leaders alike. She oversaw several major city bureaus and championed initiatives in affordable housing, economic development, community safety, and climate resilience.

Following her time on the council, Rubio was named Executive Director of Janus Youth Programs, a nonprofit serving system-impacted children and teenagers in Oregon and Southwest Washington, assuming the role in August 2025. Janus runs youth shelters, residences and housing stability programs for young people during critical life transitions. Rubio lives in Rose City Park neighborhood with her spouse Antony and stepchild Sully.