The Oregon Legislature finally has a permanent human resources director. Tracey Yee starts on Monday, Nov. 13. For the past dozen years, Yee has worked in human resources at Oregon State University, most recently as director of human resources operations. She also is the Corvallis City Council president. Jessica Knieling, the Legislature’s interim human resources director since 2019, returned to the Department of Administrative Services.

Senate President Rob Wagner appointed Britton Taylor as acting secretary of the Senate. Taylor was deputy secretary under Lori Brocker, who resigned this fall.

House Republican Leader Jeff Helfrich rounded out the caucus staff:

—Cole Avery, the new communications director, spent three years on Capitol Hill as a congressional staff member and senior adviser to the Republican National Committee.

—Hannah Osantowske is spokesperson. She most recently worked on a statewide campaign in Louisiana.

—Jacob Vandever continues as legislative director, with Ryan Tuthill and Daniel Riechers filling the other policy positions.

With Tony Lapiz leaving the Oregon House speaker’s staff to work on Speaker Dan Rayfield’s campaign for state attorney general, Stuty Maskey has been promoted to legislative director. Jack Lehman is now deputy legislative director.

The Legislative Fiscal Office made several staff changes:

—Wendy Gibson was hired as a senior legislative analyst primarily working on natural resource agencies. Gibson previously was a policy and budget analyst with the Chief Financial Office in the Oregon Department of Administrative Services after spending 15 years with the Oregon Department of Human Services.

—Alex Perkins was hired as a senior legislative analyst covering several agencies, including the Oregon Department of Revenue, Department of Consumer and Business Services, and Oregon Advocacy Commissions Office. Perkins was deputy state hazard mitigation officer at the Department of Emergency Management.

—Twais Broadus is a legislative fiscal analyst primarily covering natural resources programs. Broadus was an operations and policy analyst at the Department of the State Fire Marshal.

—Steve Robbins left LFO to serve as the distilled spirits program director at the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission. He had been analyst for the Oregon Health Authority, which is now being covered by Matt Stayner.

—April McDonald was promoted to principal legislative analyst and took over as the natural resources subcommittee coordinator.

—Doug Wilson retired in October, and Tim Walker is retiring at the end of the year.

Maj. Gen. Michael Stencel, who served eight years as the adjutant general of the Oregon National Guard, retired Nov. 3. Gen. Daniel R. Hokanson, chief of the National Guard Bureau, presided over his retirement ceremony. Hokanson had preceded Stencel as Oregon’s adjutant general. Gov. Tina Kotek appointed Col. Alan R. Gronewold, who is being promoted to brigadier general, as the new adjutant general.

After a lengthy search, the Oregon Board of Pharmacy hired Jamal Fox as the agency’s new director. The governor’s staff participated in the interview process with the board making the hiring decision. Executive Director Joe Schnabel retired last month. Fox returns to Oregon from Takoma Park, Maryland, where he was city manager. He previously was city administrator in Camas, Washington; deputy chief of staff for the Portland mayor; and property and business development manager for Portland parks. He has worked as a pharmacy technician and manager in a community pharmacy. Gov. Kate Brown had appointed him to the Oregon Commission on Black Affairs, where he served as chair for several years.

Ron Eachus, a longtime chair of the Oregon Public Utility Commission, died last month while trekking in Bhutan. He was 76. After leaving state government, Eachus remained deeply involved in Oregon public policy and was president of the Salem City Club at the time of his death. In a 2001 resolution, the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners praised his “fearlessness, determination, incorruptibility, intelligence, persistence, and reluctance to wear a tie.”