As an elected official, community leader and in the private sector, Tobias Read has earned a reputation for translating Oregonians’ values and priorities into real world results, while keeping a sharp focus on what will make the greatest impact for the future of Oregonians and the communities they live and work in.

As Oregon’s State Treasurer since 2017, Tobias has been a responsible and effective steward of Oregon’s finances, managing assets of over $140 billion, including funds safeguarding Oregon’s retirement, workers’ compensation, and schools.  He has championed programs making Oregon a good financial partner to families, providing tools they need to get ahead. These include helping Oregon families save for college and apprenticeships through the Oregon College Savings Plan. Tobias also oversees OregonSaves, a program he sponsored and passed as a legislator.  This first-of-its-kind retirement savings plan gives everyone the ability to save for the future and retire with security and dignity, even if their employer does not provide options.

Tobias also helped ensure that Oregon’s values were reflected in the work of the Treasury.  He brokered the agreement to save the Elliott State Forest, created a plan to bring Oregon’s investment funds to net zero carbon emissions, and has helped make significant progress on diversity, equity and inclusion at Treasury. 

Tobias knows that better decisions are made when diverse voices are at the table. Under his leadership, the proportion of people of color working at Treasury has nearly tripled since 2017, and a majority of his core management team are women and/or people of color. 

From 2007 to 2017, Tobias represented Beaverton in the State House. In addition to passing OregonSaves, Tobias worked to fund full-day kindergarten to give all kids a jump start on their education, no matter their zipcode; support green tech jobs and research; stabilize state funding and establish a Rainy Day Fund to reduce the need for harsh budget cuts and tax increases. He also passed Open Oregon, an innovative low-cost grant program that has saved 1.5 million students over $152 million on books and course materials.

During his time in the Oregon House, Tobias served as House Majority Whip, and in 2015 he was elected Speaker Pro Tempore.

Tobias gained valuable experience from his time working at the U.S. Treasury Department, where he oversaw briefings for the Treasury Secretary. He also worked as a liaison between designers, engineers and manufacturing units for Nike.