Steve Marks’ resignation as executive director of the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission takes effect at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 15. The letter he submitted Monday morning to OLCC Chairman Paul Rosenbaum and commission members says he is resigning at the request of Gov. Tina Kotek, as the Oregon Capital Insider previously reported.

Former Gov. Kate Brown’s natural policy director, Jason Miner, is on a 90-day assignment as special adviser at the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. Working with other agencies, his role is to help develop state plans for using the $700 million settlement for remediating PCB.

In other staff news at the department, JR Collier is serving as deputy director for operations and Matt Rippee as deputy director for field services. Susan Bethers moved into Collier’s previous role as regional director. Stefanie Knowlton joined the department as public information officer.

Leah Horner rejoins ODOT on Wednesday as assistant director of Operations, overseeing more than 2,700 employees. She was Brown’s deputy chief of staff and infrastructure director and previously her jobs and economy policy advisor and director of regional solutions. Horner was ODOT government relations manager during 2014-2018 and then legislative director for the Oregon Department of Human Services.

Leah Feldon is the new director of the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality after serving in the interim role since September. The Environmental Quality Commission on Friday chose her over former 5th Congressional District candidate Jamie McLeod-Skinner, regional emergency coordinator with the state Department of Human Services.

Mark Long, former executive director of the Oregon Home Builders Association, joined Pac/West Lobby Group as vice president of construction policy and regulatory affairs. Long was director of the Oregon Building Codes Division for 17 years and was interim director of the Oregon Department of Energy. Whitley Sullivan joined PacWest as director of housing and rural development. She was chief of staff for Rep. Bobby Levy, R-Echo.

Kris “KP” Pratt, who was former Congressman Peter DeFazio’s longtime legislative director and his final chief of staff, went to work for Smith Dawson & Andrews in Washington, D.C., as executive vice president and chief of staff.

After four years at the Department of State Lands, Meliah Masiba has moved to the Department of Administrative Services as legislative director.

Former journalist Connor Radnovich began work last week as Senate President Rob Wagner’s communications director. Radnovich was the Salem Statesman Journal’s state government and politics reporter for five years until last August. Since then, he has been a freelance journalist. His Capitol press corps colleagues had elected him president of the Oregon Legislative Correspondents Association, a position he held for four years.

Court Boice, R-Gold Beach, was sworn in last week to represent House District 1. The vacancy occurred when Rep. David Brock Smith, R-Port Orford, was appointed to the Senate. Boice was a Curry County commissioner and ran for governor last year. House Speaker Dan Rayfield appointed Boice to the House Agriculture, Land Use, Natural Resources and Water Committee and the Housing and Homelessness Committee.

Rayfield appointed Reps. Maxine Dexter, D-Portland, and Jeff Helfrich, R-Hood River, to the Governor’s Housing Production Advisory Council. He appointed Maria Vargas and Dolores Martinez to the Taskforce on Homelessness and Racial Disparities, replacing David DiMatteo and Gustavo Morales. He appointed Colin Benson to the Board on Public Safety Standards and Training, replacing Gary Cobb.

Wagner appointed Brock Smith to the Oregon Global Warming Commission, replacing Sen. Lynn Findley, R-Vale.