Jill Bakken started work this week as communications director for House Speaker Julie Fahey, D-Eugene. She previously handled communications for Rise Partnership and SEIU Local 503.

Jenny Hansson, a longtime KOIN-TV news anchor, joined the Department of Justice this week as Attorney General Dan Rayfield’s communications director. She replaces Roy Kaufmann, who had held the job under Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum since 2023. His last day is Feb. 2.

After being appointed unanimously by the Washington and Multnomah county commissioners, Mari Watanabe, D-Bethany, was sworn in Sunday to fill the House District 34 vacancy created when Lisa Reynolds moved to the Senate. A member of the Portland Community College board, Rep. Watanabe is the first person of Japanese descent to serve in the Oregon House. Speaker Fahey appointed her to three committees: House Economic Development, Small Business and Trade; House Emergency Management, General Government and Veterans; and Joint Ways and Means Subcommittee on Transportation and Economic Development.

Reps. Jason Kropf, D-Bend, and Kevin Mannix, R-Salem, are co-chairs of the House Conduct Committee. The other members are Reps. Ed Diehl, R-Stayton, and Thuy Tran, D-Portland. Six representatives will serve as alternates.

Ivy Jones is now policy and legislative analyst at the Department of State Lands after work as a legislative aide for Rep. Rob Nosse, D-Portland, and Sen. Laurie Monnes Anderson, D-Gresham.

Elsie Elling is now political and policy strategist for SEIU Local 503. She worked for Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates; Sen. Mark Hass, D-Beaverton; and Gov. Kate Brown’s reelection campaign.

Oliver Muggli joined Congresswoman Janelle Bynum, D-5th District, as her district director. He was executive director of the Oregon Senate Democratic Leadership Fund after working for Kropf and Bynum in the state House. Brett Mulligan, who also worked for Bynum in the Legislature, is her operations manager.

Morgan Cowling resigned as executive director of the Universal Health Plan Governance Board after less than a year in the job. She told The Lund Report that she would be district director for Congresswoman Maxine Dexter, D-3rd District. The board appointed Jennifer Donovan, senior policy adviser, as interim executive director. Meanwhile, Gov. Tina Kotek has nominated former nurse and health care administrator Mary Lou Hennrich to the board, subject to state Senate confirmation.

Peter Wedlake is legislative correspondent for Dexter, having worked for her in the Legislature and on her congressional election campaign.

Jefferson County District Attorney Steven Leriche is resigning as of Feb. 2. He starts work the next day as a prosecutor with the Department of Justice, as The Bulletin reported. Leriche will continue handling the district attorney functions until Gov. Kotek appoints his successor. The deadline for applying is Feb. 18.

Former Oregon Senate Republican Leader Tim Knopp, of Bend, is the new state co-chair of U.S. Term Limits. He replaces new state Rep. Alex Skarlatos, R-Winston. Former congressional candidate Andrew Kalloch is the Democratic co-chair.

Lian Gallaver joined the Oregon Government Ethics Commission as an investigator. He worked for Multnomah County for almost 10 years before recently living in British Columbia.

With the change in presidential administrations, Joan Mooney left the U.S. Department of Interior, where she was principal deputy assistant secretary for policy, management and budget. Early in her career, she was chief of staff for Oregon Congresswoman Darlene Hooley.

Rosie Lanenga, a fifth-grader at Riverdale Grade School in Portland, was inaugurated last week as Oregon’s 2025 Kid Governor. The fifth-graders who comprise her cabinet are Desmond Bennett, Springville Elementary, Portland; Jordyn Mouton, John Wetten Elementary, Gladstone; Ryker Yun, Bonny Slope Elementary, Beaverton; Saanvi Shah, Paul L. Patterson Elementary, Hillsboro; Syon Bhendigeri, Jacob Wismer Elementary, Portland; and Teegan Wright, Rosland Elementary, La Pine.