Rochelle Layton starts work Sept. 3 as the Oregon Health Authority’s chief financial officer. Leading the Fiscal Operations Division, she will manage the agency’s work on creating its $30 billion-plus two-year budget, establishing Medicaid rates for coordinated care organizations and auditing Medicaid providers. Layton has run her own healthcare finance consulting firm since 2019 after serving as director of financial operations for Providence St. Joseph Health.

Meanwhile, OHA promoted Tiffany Reagan to senior engagement analyst.

Gov. Tina Kotek is seeking a new director for her behavioral health initiative. Applications are due Sunday. Juliana Wallace is leaving Sept. 13, returning to work at Central City Concern. In other changes, Valerie Colas, an attorney with the state court system, will become Kotek’s public safety adviser on Sept. 3. She replaces Constantin Severe, who will move to deputy general counsel.

Kotek appointed family law attorney Keri J. Smith Church to the Benton County Circuit Court. She replaces Judge Locke Williams, who retired.

Carol Crum joined the House Speaker’s Office as legislative coordinator, working with Legislative Director Stuty Maskey and deputy Jack Lehman to handle legislation and policy development, as well as legislative operations in the State Capitol. Crum was outreach director in the House Majority Office since February 2022 after being a legislative assistant during the 2021 session.

Senate President Rob Wagner and House Speaker Julie Fahey appointed Dr. Ameeta Agrawal, representing Portland State University, to the Joint Task Force on Artificial Intelligence, replacing Dr. Madhusudan Singh from Oregon Institute of Technology.

The Oregon Building Codes Division hired Madison Yock as local government outreach liaison. Yock, who is stationed in BCD’s West Salem office, worked for Alyrica Networks Inc. in Philomath as public partnership coordinator, interacting with local, county, state and federal entities. Before that, she was executive director of the Albany Public Schools Foundation and worked for Boys & Girls Clubs of the Greater Santiam.

Todd Younkin, who was with the Employment Department, now is executive director of the state Mental Health Regulatory Agency. Charles Hill retired at the end of July after more than nine years heading the agency, which oversees the Oregon Board of Psychology and the Board of Licensed Professional Counselors and Therapists.

Ali King, director of constituent services for retiring Congressman Earl Blumenauer, joined Our Children Oregon as policy and advocacy director.

Miles Palacios, executive director of the Oregon Association of Student Councils, moved to the Association of Oregon Counties as a government relations manager.

Corinne Sams, a member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation Board of Trustees, was elected to chair the Oregon Task Force on Tribal Consultation.