Gov. Tina Kotek overhauled her top staff following last month’s departures of Chief of Staff Andrea Cooper, who was given a temporary assignment at the Department of Administrative Services, and senior adviser Abby Tibbs.

• Chris Warner, who served as acting chief of staff for the past three weeks, was given the permanent job. He had been deputy chief of staff for public administration.

• Taylor Smiley Wolfe, previously the director of Kotek’s housing and homelessness initiative, fills a new position as deputy chief of staff for governor’s initiatives.

• Vince Porter, previously the governor’s economic development and workforce adviser, takes over Warner’s old job as deputy chief of staff for public administration.

• Matthew Tschabold, who was Kotek’s housing adviser, now will direct the housing and homelessness initiative. 

Kotek said her expanded executive leadership team will consist of Warner; Smiley Wolfe; Porter; Lindsey O’Brien, deputy chief of staff for public engagement, who has been on leave since April 5; Andre Bealer, equity and racial justice director; An Do, public affairs and communications director; Richard Lane, general counsel; Bob Livingston, legislative director; Berri Leslie, state chief operating officer and director of DAS; and Kate Nass, the state’s chief financial officer.

Meanwhile, Kotek’s social media manager, Sydney McDevitt, is leaving April 26 for what she called “an exciting offer to return to work in electoral politics.” April Rohman recently was hired as the governor’s behavioral health adviser after more than seven years at Multnomah County.

Kate Pattison is the new director of the School Choice, Options and Recovery Education Unit at the Department of Education.

After seven years, Laura Kentnesse this week left the Legislative Policy and Research Office, where she was an analyst on environment and natural resources issues. Having gone to law school on evenings and weekends, she is joining Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt as an associate attorney. Kentnesse will work at the intersection of energy and land use law, helping implement the state’s recently established clean energy targets and decarbonization goals. LPRO is conducting interviews to fill several vacant and new positions, including the research role held by Eliot Crafton, who took a job with the federal government.

Hillsboro’s government relations director, Andy Smith, is leaving to join Inga Deckert as her partner at Proxy as of May 1.

Lobbyist Gwenn Baldwin of Baldwin Consulting LLC said she is closing this chapter of her government relations and lobbying in Oregon. The city of Beaverton, for whom she has been a contract lobbyist, will hire a government relations manager and this summer will issue an RFP for state lobbying.

After a career in Oregon journalism and corporate communications, Ryan Frank joined the New York Times as communications director for strategic messaging. Frank worked for Legacy Health, Cambia Health Solutions, Gallatin Public Affairs, Business Oregon, Las Vegas Sun and The Oregonian. He also was president and CEO of Emerald Media Group, the University of Oregon’s independent student newspaper.

Gerry O’Brien, who was editor of The Bulletin in Bend, is now director of communications at Klamath Community College in Klamath Falls.

Senate President Rob Wagner and House Speaker Julie Fahey appointed Iris Hodge to the Task Force on Statewide Educator Salary Schedules, replacing Susan Allen.

Cassie Wilson, who was legislative assistant this year for Rep. Dacia Grayber, D-Portland, is transportation policy manager at 1000 Friends of Oregon, where she interned last summer.