Oregon insiders: Who’s who in and around state government
Published 1:40 pm Thursday, June 5, 2025
- Carpet in the Oregon governor's ceremonial office in the state Capitol in Salem. (Oregon Capital Insider)
Troy Britting is the new superintendent of MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility in Woodburn after filling the position on an interim basis. Dan Berger, superintendent since 2013, stepped down last fall but remained on staff as a special adviser until retiring at the end of 2024. Britting joined the Oregon Youth Authority in 2011 as a group life coordinator at Hillcrest Youth Correctional Facility, which has since closed.
After another candidate dropped out, Dr. Shereef Elnahal is the lone finalist for president of Oregon Health & Science University. He was undersecretary for health at the Department of Veterans Affairs in the Biden administration; president/CEO of University Hospital, which is part of Rutgers New Jersey Medical School; and the New Jersey health commissioner. He earned his medical degree and an MBA at Harvard University.
Karma Clarke-Jung is the new family engagement coordinator for the Early Assessment and Support Alliance Center for Excellence, which is part of the OHSU-Portland State University School of Public Health. The EASA Center, which the Oregon Health Authority helps fund, provides specialty care for youth and young adults experiencing their first episode of psychosis, and for their families. Clarke-Jung previously was an autism consultant with the Douglas Education Service District.
Lea Ann Stuttheit retired as chief operations officer for the Office of Developmental Disabilities Services in the Oregon Department of Human Services. Taking over is Amber Padilla, who managed the Business Supports Unit before training with Stuttheit on the new role.
Nicholas Tenorio joined the Oregon State Fire Marshal as public affairs specialist after serving as a U.S. Navy public affairs officer in Greece, following previous roles with the Navy and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He also was a Peace Corps volunteer in Jamaica and Uganda.
Amy Mettler is now chief financial officer at Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency after holding that job at the Oregon Department of Emergency Management and the Department of Land Conservation and Development.
Senate President Rob Wagner and House Speaker Julie Fahey appointed Jin Lan as executive director and a member of the reinvigorated Oregon-China Sister State Committee. Also named to the committee were Sen. Todd Nash, R-Enterprise; Sen. Lew Frederick, D-Portland; Rep. Darin Harbick, R-McKenzie Bridge; Rep. David Gomberg, D-Otis; Meiru Liu; Shanbo Zhang; Stephen Ying; Michael Dembrow; Arnie Roblan; Craig Ackerman; Elizabeth Nye; Emily Palmer; and Mike McArthur. Wagner, D-Lake Oswego, and Fahey, D-Eugene, are committee co-chairs.
Todd Davidson is retiring as CEO of Travel Oregon, a job he has had since 1996. The Oregon Tourism Commission will discuss the CEO transition, “including potential parameters for a post-retirement role,” at its June 10 meeting in Enterprise. The agenda lists “consideration of CEO retention and succession planning.”
Sam Forbes, communications director for Congresswoman Andrea Salinas, D-6th District, took a job with The AEJ Group as an account manager.
Kathleen Stuart, who ran the Portland-based public affairs firm Stuart Collective, has launched PUBLIC. She defined the firm as “a strategy lab built to help good causes win more public support.”
Allison Ferre, who handled media relations and corporate communications at the Port of Portland, moved to Unlock Technologies as director of communications.
Lynn Heider retires next week as vice president for public affairs and communications at GoWest Credit Union Association and previously the Northwest Credit Union Association. Earlier in her career she was a news executive at KOIN-TV.
Kevin Heatley, who took over as Crater Lake National Park superintendent in February, left that job and the National Park Service on Friday. He cited staff cutbacks and other administrative changes for why he took a buyout.
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.