OREGON CAPITAL INSIDER - Carpet in the Oregon governor's ceremonial office in the state Capitol in Salem

Friday is Johnmartin Sherman-Lewis’ last day as communications director for Oregon Senate President Peter Courtney, D-Salem, who will be leaving the Legislature in January. Sherman-Lewis is taking a job outside the State Capitol. Courtney’s chief of staff, Lisa Taylor, now will add media responsibilities to her job duties. Sherman-Lewis began as a legislative aide and receptionist in 2019. Courtney was so impressed that a year later, he was elevated to communications director, Courtney’s first one who didn’t have a professional journalism background.

Courtney appointed Sen. Kathleen Taylor, D-Portland, to the State Debt Policy Advisory Commission, replacing Sen. Lee Beyer, D-Springfield.

Kenechi Onyeagusi is the new chief operating officer at Business Oregon, the state’s economic development department. She was chief executive officer of Professional Business Development Group and the PBDG Foundation. Before that, she worked in banking. She also co-chaired the Governor’s Racial Justice Council Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity and served on local boards. Business Oregon had been seeking to fill the position since Dr. Brenda Ortigoza Bateman was appointed in April as director of the state Department of Land Conservation and Development.

Ken Patterson has been named manager for the Oregon Department of Transportation’s Region 5, which covers Eastern Oregon. Patterson joined ODOT in 1993 as a winter seasonal employee, adding duties as the years went by. He is taking over for recently retired manager Craig Sipp.

Michael Nichols has been selected as ODOT’s State Surveyor and Engineering Automation Section manager. His survey career spans more than three decades, including being ODOT Region 1 (Portland metro area) Survey Unit manager since 2018.