Gov. Tina Kotek appointed Dr. Nakeia Council Daniels as director of the Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs, subject to Senate confirmation. The ODVA’s deputy director, Daniels has been interim director since Kelly Fitzpatrick retired Oct. 1. Daniels previously was deputy director of the Oregon Youth Authority and served on Gov. Kate Brown’s staff. Her appointment is among Kotek’s nominationsannounced this week that will be considered Feb. 6 by the Senate Committee on Rules and Executive Appointments.

Kotek nominated Hood River County Commissioner Les Perkins to fill a vacancy on the three-person Oregon Public Utility Commission. Mark Thompson resigned in September. Perkins has been county commissioner since 2001 and general manager of the Farmers Irrigation District since 2015.

The Oregon Health Authority is dissolving its Health Systems Division, replacing it with two new divisions. Behavioral Health will be led by Ebony Clarke, the state’s behavioral health director. The Medicaid division will be led by Vivian Levy, the interim Medicaid director. Shawna McDermott, interim director of Health Systems, will take a senior role in Medicaid. 

Sherryll Hoar is now chief of staff in the Office of Resilience and Emergency Management at the Department of Human Services. She had been the external affairs chief.

Nick Poche is press secretary for the House Republican Office. He previously was deputy chief of staff for a legislative delegation based out of Atlantic City, New Jersey. Adam Marl, who joined HRO as a policy advisor, has worked in the Legislature for four sessions, including stints with former Rep. Jack Zika and Sen. Daniel Bonham. He also is president of Oregon City’s city commission. Nikolas Ruiz is the new House District 52 chief of staff for House Republican Leader Jeff Helfrich. Ruiz was chief of staff for former Rep. Lily Morgan and previously worked for Southern Oregon lawmakers Dallas Heard, Herman Baertschiger Jr. and Carl Wilson.

Lucas Bezerra is the new communications director for the House Majority Office. He previously was chief of staff for Rep. Tom Andersen, D-Salem, and before that was campaign services director at Future PAC, the House Democrats’ campaign arm. 

House Speaker Dan Rayfield appointed Reps. Daniel Nguyen, D-Lake Oswego, to the Governor’s Advisory Council on AI; Charlie Conrad, R-Dexter, to the Oregon State Council for Juvenile Supervision; Conrad and Tom Andersen, D-Salem, to the Juvenile Justice Policy Commission; Helfrich, R-Hood River, to the Commission on Statewide Law Enforcement Standards of Conduct and Discipline; Hai Pham, D-Hillsboro, to the State Workforce Talent and Development Board; and Ben Bowman, D-Tigard, to the Improving People’s Access to Community-based Treatment, Supports and Services Grant Review Committee.

Dr. Paul Jarrell will take over as president of Tillamook Bay Community College on Feb. 9, succeeding Ross Tomlin, who is retiring. Jarrell is TBCC’s vice president of instruction and student services. Kevin LaCoste resigned as interim president of Clatsop Community College and appointed Teena Toyas, college vice president and provost, as acting president.

Dave Robertson has settled into his role as chief public affairs officer for the Port of Portland after 18 years at PGE, including 13 as vice president of public affairs, followed by consulting work.