Jody Robbins,who was industrial statistician for Washington state, was hired as administrator of the Apprenticeship and Training Division at the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries. After starting his career in the sheet metal industry, Robbins developed and taught apprenticeship programs. 

Dr. Debbie Colbert is the first woman to lead the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, an agency that dates to the late 1800s. The Fish and Wildlife Commission on Friday unanimously appointed her as director. Since 2021, Colbert has been the department’s deputy director for fish and wildlife programs.

Gov. Tina Kotek nominated Letha Tawney, who has served on the Oregon Public Utility Commission since 2018, for an additional four-year term. Kotek nominated Baker County rancher Mark Bennett to the Land Conservation and Development Commission. The state Senate will consider Kotek’s appointments late May. 

Todd Graneto took over this week as chief financial officer at SAIF, the not-for-profit state-chartered workers’ compensation company. He previously was vice president of premium audit and underwriting services.  

The Oregon Community Foundation board, chaired by former legislator and state agency director Lane Shetterly, has two new members. Karis Stoudamire-Phillips is vice president of diversity, equity, and inclusion and community initiatives at Moda Health and Delta Dental of Oregon. Ernesto Fonseca is CEO of Hacienda Community Development Corp. They replace former chair Kimberly Cooper and Patrick Criteser on the 15-member board.

Jeremy Davis, president/CEO of Grande Ronde Hospital in La Grande, testified Thursday before the U.S. Senate Finance Committee, which Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden chairs. Wyden convened the hearing on “Rural Health Care: Supporting Lives and Improving Communities.”

Harney County Clerk Derrin “Dag” Robinson was elected to chair the Standards Board for the U.S. Election Assistance Commission.

The Oregon Climate Action Commission, formerly called the Oregon Global Warming Commission, is recruiting to fill four vacancies for voting members: one youth, aged 16-24 to 24, and one individual each to represent environmental justice, manufacturing and the fishing industry. Cathy Macdonald of The Nature Conservancy chairs the commission, which consists of 13 voting members appointed by the governor and 22 nonvoting members.