Retiring Sen. Michael Dembrow, D-Portland, who has served in the Legislature since 2009, is leaving office early. His Sept. 30 resignation will enable his presumptive successor, Rep. Khan Pham, D-Portland, to be appointed to his seat and thus get a head start on preparing for the 2025 Legislature. At the May primary election, Pham won both the Democratic and Republican nominations in Senate District 23, as did Willy Chotzen for Pham’s seat in House District 46. Multnomah County commissioners will make the appointments. Dembrow has served in the Legislature since 2009.

Oregon has a new top economist, as well as two-and-a-half other economists who recently joined the Office of Economic Analysis. Carl Riccadonna starts work Monday as chief economist, coming from Wall Street where he was chief U.S. economist for the global financial firm BNP Paribas. Bend resident Josh Lehner, who is departing after serving as interim state economist since Mark McMullen left in May, has worked to get the office fully staffed:

— Economist Mitchell D’Sa previously was a data analyst in the health care industry. Mitchell earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in economics from Florida State University.

— Economist Jordan Macias is on a job rotation from the Oregon Employment Department. Macias earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Portland State University.

— Economist Michael Kennedy retired from state government at the end of 2023 after spending much of his OEA career on revenue and criminal justice forecasts. He recently agreed to come back to OEA on a half-time basis.

— Senior Demographer Kanhaiya Vaidya retired several years ago but continues working part-time doing demographic analysis and producing the statewide population and demographic forecasts that factor into OEA’s other forecasts.

Gov. Tina Kotek appointed Kenny Adams of La Pine to the Commission on Black Affairs. He is executive director of The Father’s Group. She named Dr. Robert Dannenhoffer of Bend, who is the Douglas County public health officer, to the Patient Safety Commission Board of Directors. Kotek also appointed Rep. Charlie Conrad, I-Dexter, to the Lottery Commission. Conrad lost his reelection bid in the May Republican primary. The Senate will act on Kotek’s nominations during Legislative Days on Sept. 23-25.

This Friday (Sept. 6) is Sierra Canfield’s last day as policy adviser in the Senate Majority Office. Her new job is director of public policy at the Hospital Association of Oregon. She previously worked for Sen. Dembrow, Marion County Health and Human Services, and Oregon Coalition of Local Health Officials. Several SMO staff changes have been underway since Kathleen Taylor, D-Portland, replaced Kate Lieber, D-Portland, as Senate majority leader.

Katherine Dalton now is public affairs specialist at the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.

Jim Pinkard, the Higher Education Coordinating Commission’s director of finance and capital, was a panelist for the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association national policy conference in Washington, D.C.

The University of Oregon dedicated a tree in honor of retired Congressman Peter DeFazio, D-4th District. Previous dedications in DeFazio’s name include a bicycle/pedestrian bridge in Eugene, a wildlife viewing platform at the Bandon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge, the MAX light-rail station at Portland International Airport, a Lane Transit District station in Springfield and a locomotive on the Coos Bay-Eugene rail line.

Lobbyist and former legislative aide Ian Tolleson moved to American Cruise Lines as government relations manager. He previously worked in government relations and lobbying for McDonald’s restaurants, Northwest Food Processors Association and Oregon Farm Bureau Federation.