Jessica Ventura, who was legislative director, now is chief of legislative and policy affairs in the Secretary of State’s Office.

Cassidy Kotter, who was an aide to Rep. Nathan Sosa, D-Hillsboro, will become assistant director of government relations at Oregon Tech (Oregon Institute of Technology).

Interim director Michael Wells will become the permanent director of the Oregon Lottery, once the Oregon Senate on Sept. 29 confirms his appointment by Gov. Tina Kotek. He has been running the agency since December, having been assistant director for security and compliance and a cybercrime manager.

Kotek appointed Thanh H. Tran to the Clackamas County Circuit Court. Tran is a civil litigation attorney and reportedly will be Oregon’s first Vietnamese American judge. He replaces Judge Thomas J. Rastetter, who retired.

The governor appointed Natasha Zimmerman, a Marion County Circuit Court hearings referee, as a judge on the court. She replaces Judge David Leith, who retired. Leith is the husband of longtime legislative aide and current lobbyist Anna Braun.

Oregonians will interact with two new executive assistants when they contact the Director’s Office at the Oregon Department of Transportation. Sam Evans, who was office manager for the Oregon Senate Republicans, will assist Delivery and Operations Administrator Mac Lynde. Leandra Borstelman worked for the Oregon Youth Authority, Oregon Judicial Department and the Oregon Real Estate Agency. She will support ODOT assistant directors Erika McCalpine, social equity, and Leah Horner, operations.

Gary A. Warner, state political reporter for EO Media Group, joined Stars and Stripes as its Pacific Northwest and Alaska regional reporter. Stars and Stripes is the editorially independent newspaper and website published by the U.S. Department of Defense. Warner previously was state bureau chief for The Bulletin in Bend. Before that he was a travel editor, military reporter, politics/government reporter and state bureau chief in California and Pennsylvania.

Victor Panichkul-Ackermann, former managing editor and columnist for the Salem Statesman Journal, is returning to his roots as publications manager for the Oregon Association of Nurseries. For the past seven years, he worked for the Stoller Family Estate winery, most recently as director of hospitality.