Oregon insiders: Who’s who in and around state government

Published 4:45 pm Thursday, October 27, 2022

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

After stints elsewhere, Page Phillips Strickler and Jessica Adamson are returning to CFM Advocates as senior vice presidents of government affairs. Strickler, who rejoined the firm last month, brings experience in transportation, housing and infrastructure to CFM’s federal affairs and public affairs teams. She co-chairs the I-5 Bridge Replacement Task Force and also serves on the Portland Business Alliance Transportation Committee. Adamson, with a background in state affairs ranging from transportation to health care, will rejoin CFM on Nov. 7. She previously was executive director for state government and public affairs at Providence Health & Services.

The Legislative Fiscal Office has several staff changes.

Steve Robbins fills the principal analyst position previously held by Tom MacDonald, who was promoted to deputy legislative fiscal officer for budget. Robbins serves as the analyst for the Oregon Health Authority and Psychiatric Security Review Board. April McDonald joined LFO as a senior analyst. She took over as the analyst for several natural resource agencies, including the departments of Agriculture, Energy, Environmental Quality, Fish and Wildlife, and Geology and Mineral Industries, along with what will become the new Department of State Fire Marshal.

Laura Kardokus is the new executive director at the Oregon Board of Tax Practitioners. The board hired her to succeed her boss, Howard Moyes, who retired. She has worked for the board for five years, starting as licensing specialist and later adding the role of exam and education coordinator.

Natalie Wight, the U.S. attorney for Oregon, appointed assistant U.S. attorneys Quinn P. Harrington and Austin Rice-Stitt to oversee any federal complaints of “voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud in the District of Oregon” stemming from the Nov. 8 general election. Their work is in conjunction with the U.S. Justice Department’s national Election Day Program.

Oregon Army National Guard Capt. Taylor B. Frye of Pendleton is among the 28 Army recipients nationally of the General MacArthur Leadership Award, which honors overall leadership throughout the year. Frye is assigned to the 1st Battalion, 168th Aviation Regiment.

Marketplace