A former president/CEO of St. Charles Health System will take over as interim superintendent of Oregon State Hospital on June 4. James Diegel led the Central Oregon health system during 2006-2014. Since then, he has been a consultant, chief strategy officer for Maui Health in Hawaii and CEO of Howard University Hospital. He also was a hospital administrator in Washington state and the Marshall Islands. Dave Baden, acting superintendent since April 14, will return to his job as the Oregon Health Authority’s deputy director of policy and programs.

Gov. Tina Kotek appointed her wife, first lady Aimee Kotek Wilson, to chair the governor’s new Behavioral Health Talent Council. Vice chairs are Julie Ibrahim, chief executive officer, New Narrative; Eli Kinsley, director of operations, Bridgeway Community Services; and Robin Sansing, behavioral health initiative director, Southern Oregon University.

Kotek appointed retired Sen. Michael Dembrow, D-Portland, and longtime tribal leader Chuck Sams as co-chairs of the Oregon Environmental Restoration Council. Vice chair will be Cheyenne Holliday, advocacy manager at Verde. Under Oregon Senate Bill 1561, for which Debrow was a chief sponsor, the council will oversee nearly $700 million from a legal settlement with Monsanto regarding polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs. Dembrow left the Legislature in January after more than 15 years. Sams was appointed by Kotek to the Northwest Power and Conservation Council this year, following his stint as National Park Service director.

Erik Cole joined state government as state resilience plan manager. He was executive director of the Revitalize Portland Coalition and vice president of community engagement for Schnitzer Properties.

Former state Rep. Charlie Conrad, I-Dexter, opened Stoa Consulting, working with organizations to navigate the public policy and legislative processes.

Oregon Capital Chronicle added Shaanth Nanguneri to its state government reporting team. Nanguneri is a recent UCLA graduate who covered criminal justice and health as an intern for CalMatters.

Jihun Han, chief of staff for Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, has taken on the role of acting deputy secretary for the Bureau of International Labor Affairs. He was Oregon Congresswoman Chavez-DeRemer’s chief of staff and 2022 campaign manager.

Willis Homann was promoted to director of government relations and communications at the Oregon School Employees Association. He replaces Iris Hodge.

Will Miller, who was government affairs manager for the NAYA Family Center and executive director of the NAYA Action Fund, joined the National Urban Indian Family Coalition as policy director.

Northwest Requirements Utilities hired Connor Reiten as director of external affairs and communications, starting July 7. The trade association represents 56 mostly small, mostly rural retail electric utilities and a generation/transmission cooperative that are Bonneville Power Administration customers. Reiten is vice president of government affairs at PNGC Power after working for NW Natural, Northwest Alliance for Clean Transportation and Northwest Gas Association.

After three-plus years with Hubbell public affairs and communications, Nathaniel Brown is now at Rowan Digital Infrastructure as director of public relations and strategic communications. He previously worked for Oregon Business & Industry and Portland Metro Chamber.

Former Rep. Teresa Alonso León, D-Woodburn, will be the June 14 commencement speaker at Western Oregon University. She graduated from WOU in 2002 with a social science degree.

If you have an update on who’s coming or going – or taking on a new assignment – in state government or organizations involved with it, email Dick Hughes at TheHughesisms@gmail.com.