Lane County Clerk Dena Dawson will head the state Elections Division under Secretary of State-elect Tobias Read. Before coming to Lane County in mid-2022, Dawson handled elections in Denver, Colorado; Douglas County, Nevada; and Archuleta, Adams and Pueblo counties in Colorado. During 2012-14, she worked for Multnomah County Elections.

Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade announced five county clerks were receiving National Association of Secretaries of State medallions in recognition of their elections work: Stacie Geaney, Lake County; Lisa Gambee, Wasco County; Brenda Percy, former Grant County clerk; Tassi O’Neil, former Tillamook County clerk; and Val Unger, former Polk County clerk.

John Brady was hired as communications director at the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission. He previously worked for the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, Portland Bureau of Transportation, Nike, Los Angeles Bureau of Engineering, L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and several colleges.

Michael Wood was named administrator of the Civil Rights Division at the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries. He had filled the interim role since July.

Job changes at the Oregon Department of Education include:

— Former Baker Schools Superintendent Erin Lair manages the Small and Rural Schools Program.

— Torrey Sims, who worked for the Department of Administrative Services and other state agencies, is interim assistant superintendent of the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.

— Devyn Castillo was named director of Fiscal Transparency. Along with her private-sector experience, she worked for the state as a senior fiscal analyst and accountant.

— Andrea Barnum, director of Systems Capacity and Improvement, worked for the Oregon Education Association and David Douglas School District.

— Vanessa Martinez, who worked for Portland Public Schools before joining ODE in 2022, was promoted to director of Standards and Instructional Support.

— Adrienne Pierce is director of Well-Rounded, Integrated and Digital Learning.

— In July, Lexi Neemann was promoted to statewide coordinator for houseless and unaccompanied youth.

Bryan Hockaday, who was a press secretary for Gov. Kate Brown, will become chief of staff for Multnomah County Commissioner Julia Brim-Edwards. He has been a public affairs specialist for the Oregon Department of Energy after working for Clackamas County, Oregon Legislature and Lyft.

In a recent newsletter, Rep. Nathan Sosa, D-Hillsboro, welcomed a new constituent: His daughter, Eleanor Sosa, was born last month.

Craig Walker, who founded FlashAlert Newswire 45 years ago while working for Multnomah ESD, is retiring. FlashAlert distributes press releases and emergency announcements for government agencies, schools and colleges, businesses and nonprofits in Oregon and Southwest Washington. Taking over is Eric Jacobson, a FlashAlert client for 16 years. He has a background in public relations and information technology.