Katy Coba, Oregon’s chief operating officer and director of the Department of Administrative Services, is retiring Sept 30. Perhaps that was foreshadowed this spring by Gov. Kate Brown appointing Coba to the Port of Portland Commission. By the way, Coba’s father, Mike Thorne, a Pendleton wheat grower and former state senator, was the port’s executive director during 1991 to 2001.

Brown, who leaves office in January, has appointed her Deputy Chief of Staff Berri Leslie to serve as acting chief operating officer and DAS director after Coba leaves. Leah Horner will fill that deputy position while remaining Brown’s infrastructure director.

Matt Garrett, former director of the Oregon Department of Transportation, will be Brown’s transportation and energy adviser as of Aug. 15. He has been working for Brown for the past year and a half on the 2020 wildfire recovery efforts and the World Athletics Championships.

Efren Zamudio is Brown’s new senior education policy adviser, moving up from the deputy position. He replaces Lindsey Capps, who reportedly took a job as director of federal relations at Oregon Health & Science University.

Nate Stice now is Brown’s Regional Solutions director as well as jobs and economic policy adviser. Jennifer Purcell has left from the North Coast region and Jody Christensen from the Mid-Valley region. Staff no longer will be assigned by region. Rotating in from other agencies to help out are Greg Svelund, Department of Environmental Quality, and Trevor Sleeman, ODOT.

Dave Dillon recently left the Oregon Farm Bureau, where he was the longtime executive vice president. This week he took over as president at Food Northwest, which serves food processors and related companies in Oregon, Washington and Idaho.

At its Aug. 9 meeting, the State Land Board plans to appoint Dr. Karina Nielsen to the Oregon Ocean Science Trust. Nielsen is director of Oregon Sea Grant. The Land Board comprises Gov. Brown, Secretary of State Shemia Fagan and State Treasurer Tobias Read.