With the end of the 2023 Oregon Legislature, House Republicans added several assistant leaders to their caucus hierarchy: Reps. Mark Owens of Crane, Christine Goodwin of Canyon City, Cyrus Javadi of Tillamook, Emily McIntire of Eagle Point and Jeff Helfrich of Hood River. They join House Republican Leader Vikki Breese-Iverson of Prineville, Assistant Leader Rick Lewis of Silverton, and deputy whips Kim Wallan of Medford and Lily Morgan of Grants Pass. Greg Smith of Heppner remains an ex-officio member of caucus leadership. Deputy Republican Leader Shelly Boshart Davis of Albany and whip E. Werner Reschke of Klamath Falls resigned during the 2023 session’s final days.

Appointed by Senate President Rob Wagner, D-Lake Oswego, to the Joint Committee on Public Education Appropriation were Sens. Lew Frederick, D-Portland, co-chair; Suzanne Weber, R-Tillamook; and Michael Dembrow, D-Portland. Wagner named Sen. Dick Anderson, R-Lincoln City, to the Oregon Retirement Savings Board and Sen. Mark Meek, D-Gladstone, to the Willamette Falls Locks Authority.

Wagner and House Speaker Dan Rayfield, D-Corvallis, will co-chair the Emergency Board, which handles matters between legislative sessions. The other Senate members appointed by Wagner are Republican Leader Tim Knopp of Bend and Wlnsvey Campos, D-Aloha; Lynn Findley, R-Vale; Frederick; Fred Girod, R-Lyons; Bill Hansell, R-Athena; Janeen Sollman, D-Hillsboro; Elizabeth Steiner, D-Portland; and Kathleen Taylor, D-Portland. Rayfield appointed Republican Leader Breese-Iverson and Reps. Paul Evans, D-Monmouth; David Gomberg, D-Otis; Susan McLain, D-Forest Grove; Owens; Tawna Sanchez, D-Portland; Smith; Andrea Valderrama; D-Portland; and Wallan.

Gov. Tina Kotek was busy filling key positions last week:

• She appointed LaVonne Griffin-Valade as secretary of state. A former Portland city auditor, Griffin-Valade was sworn into office last Friday after having been recruited for the job by Kotek. After Secretary of State Shemia Fagan resigned May 8, Deputy Secretary Cheryl Myers filled in temporarily.

• The governor, who also is state superintendent of public instruction, appointed Dr. Charlene Williams as deputy superintendent to head the Oregon Department of Education. Williams was deputy superintendent of Evergreen Public Schools in Vancouver, assistant superintendent for the Camas School District, senior director of school performance for Portland Public Schools and principal of Roosevelt High School in Portland. She came to Oregon in 1999 to work at Portland Community College. The state Senate in September will consider Kotek’s appointment of Williams, who will succeed Colt Gill as ODE director.

• Kotek appointed Annaliese Dolph as director of the Alcohol and Drug Policy Commission. Dolph, who led Kotek’s behavioral health initiative, replaces Acting Executive Director Jill Gray, a senior policy analyst. The commission has eight vacancies that Kotek is seeking to fill.

Kotek apparently is having difficulty finding a new district attorney for Klamath County. The office has been vacant since DA Eve Costello resigned last fall. Kotek announced that she is taking additional applications through July 14. Meanwhile, the office is being managed by the Oregon Department of Justice through Senior Assistant Attorney General John Casalino.

Columbia County District Attorney Jeffery Auxier resigned as of Friday, July 7, reportedly to join the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office. Kotek is accepting applications to fill the vacancy through July 24.