OREGON CAPITAL INSIDER - Carpet in the Oregon governor's ceremonial office in the state Capitol in Salem

House Republican Leader Jeff Helfrich of Hood River, who took on that role in September, soon will be the most-senior caucus leader in the Oregon Legislature. Senate Majority Leader Kate Lieber, D-Portland, is leaving that position to become co-chair of the Joint Ways & Means Committee. Sen. Elizabeth Steiner, D-Portland, a co-chair since 2018, is stepping down July 15 to focus on her campaign for state treasurer. Lieber also will replace Steiner on the Emergency Board, which handles budget issues between legislative sessions.

Senate Democrats intend to elect a new caucus leader later this month. Senate Republican Leader Daniel Bonham of The Dalles and House Majority Leader Ben Bowman, D-Tigard, were chosen in April.

Senate President Rob Wagner and House Speaker Julie Fahey appointed members of the Task Force on Artificial Intelligence: Kelsey Wilson, Oregon Business and Industry; Skip Newberry, Technology Association of Oregon; David Edmonson, TechNet; Alan Fern, Oregon State University; Madhusudan Singh, Oregon Institute of Technology; Jason Kistler, city of Independence; Justin Brookman, Consumer Reports; Sarah Tangdall, Salesforce; and Sean McSpaden, Legislative Fiscal Office.

Fahey appointed Reps. Jason Kropf, D-Bend, and Rick Lewis, R-Silverton, to the Task Force on Community Safety and Firearm Suicide Prevention. She appointed Reps. Rob Nosse, D-Portland, and Charlie Conrad, R-Dexter, to the Joint Task Force on Regional Behavioral Health Accountability.

Lucas Bezerra has moved to the House Speaker’s Office as communications director. He will continue serving as communications director for the House Majority Office until his old job is filled.

Nick Poche serves as deputy executive director of the Evergreen PAC, the campaign committee of the Oregon House Republicans. As is typical in these arrangements, he continues working part-time in his regular job as House Republican Office press secretary.

The Senate confirmed Gov. Tina Kotek’s recent appointments, including Jennifer Smith, project coordinator with the University of Oregon’s Labor Education and Research Center, to the Higher Education Coordinating Commission; Heath Curtiss and Bob Van Dyk to the Board of Forestry; and Jenifer Roe, owner/operator of Roe Outfitters and Crater Lake Zipline, to the Oregon Tourism Commission.

The Secretary of State Audits Division won the 2024 Excellence in Accountability Award from the National State Auditors Association for its audit of the role of pharmacy benefit managers in Oregon’s Medicaid program. The audit was done by Ian Green, audit manager; Kathy Davis, senior auditor; and Bentley Walker and Wendy Kam, staff auditors.

Alma Whalen was promoted to deputy director for campaign regulation in the state Elections Division, which is part of the Secretary of State’s Office. She was elections program manager.

Rhys Ornstein-Hawes is the new diversity, equity and inclusion coordinator at the Bureau of Labor and Industries. Before joining BOLI, they provided DEI programming for state- and city-funded nonprofits in Oregon.

Khela Singer was hired as grant coordinator at the Department of Administrative Services.

Former Gov. Kate Brown is the new president of the nonprofit Willamette Falls Trust.

Connie Seeley, a well-known face at the Oregon Capitol, temporarily will head OHSU’s human resources department after Qiana Williams abruptly resigned as chief people officer. Seeley is chief of staff and chief administrative officer at OHSU. She spent 13 years as a key legislative staffer, including chief of staff for Senate President Peter Courtney.

The AFL-CIO’s Transportation Trades Department presented former Congressman Peter DeFazio with the 2024 Larry Willis Leadership Award, which honors “an outstanding advocate of transportation labor policies.”

Rachel Smolkin, senior vice president of global news for CNN digital, is the next president/CEO of Oregon Public Broadcasting. In September, she will replace Steve Bass, who is retiring after 18 years at the helm. Smolkin previously worked for Politico, USA Today, American Journalism Review, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Toledo Blade, and Scripps Howard News Service.