Gov. Tina Kotek hired Andre Bealer as her director of equity and racial justice. He was the workforce equity program manager for Metro, having worked previously as policy adviser for the Metro Council president and for the National Association of Minority Contractors-Oregon.

After more than 20 years in state government, Brian Light is leaving to become deputy chief human resources officer at Washington County. Most recently he was an HR administrator overseeing labor relations and statewide recruitment at the Oregon Department of Administrative Services.

Katie Pearmine joined the National Policy Consensus Center at Portland State University as senior project manager on the Oregon Consensus team. Pearmine, who was raised on a Marion County farm, was associate director of the Global Food Systems Partnerships after working for the Oregon Food Bank and Oregon Department of Agriculture.

Tom Cusack, 76, of Lake Oswego, who wrote the Oregon Housing Blog, died Feb. 13 after his lymphoma returned. His final post was published the previous day. Before launching the blog, Cusack worked for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for 34 years, the last 10 as the top HUD official in Oregon.

After 10 years as executive director of Confluence Project, Colin Fogarty is moving to the Oregon Community Foundation. The Confluence board named Mary Rose Navarro as interim executive director. Fogarty was regional editor for Northwest News Network from 2008-14 after more than 12 years reporting for Oregon Public Broadcasting.

U.S. Rep. Andrea Salinas, D-6th District, will co-chair the Congressional Mental Health Caucus, with Reps. Grace Napolitano, D-California, and Don Beyer, D-Virginia.

Debra Royal, who was chief of staff for Secretary of State Dennis Richardson, is chief of staff for Rep. Christine Goodwin, R-Canyon City.

Katie Imes of Lexington began her three-year term on the Energy Facility Siting Council after being confirmed by the Oregon Senate. Imes serves on the Lexington Town Council, Morrow County Cultural Coalition and Morrow County Public Transit Advisory Committee. She previously was the Morrow County Public Transit Manager.

Pacific University in Forest Grove renamed its Pacific Hall to honor former Oregon Congressman Les AuCoin, who graduated from the college in 1969. The building, now called AuCoin Hall, underwent a $10.5 million renovation during the past eight months.