Peter Wong, dean and former president of the Oregon Capital Press Corps, was among employees laid off this week by Carpenter Media, the new owner of Pamplin Media Group, which publishes the Portland Tribune and two dozen other newspapers. Wong started covering legislative sessions in 1980 as a reporter for The News-Review in Roseburg. He also wrote about state government and politics for the Medford Mail Tribune, Salem Statesman Journal and Oregon Capital Insider. His last stories included coverage of the death Tuesday of former Senate President Peter Courtney, D-Salem.

Gov. Tina Kotek ordered flags at Oregon public institutions to be flown at half-staff from Wednesday until sunset on Thursday, July 18, in Courtney’s honor. He was the Senate’s presiding officer while she was House speaker.

Seth Dugan-Knight is now legislative director for the Oregon House Majority Office. He worked as chief of staff for Democratic Reps. Ben Bowman of Tigard, now the majority leader, and Rob Nosse of Portland. Dugan-Knight takes over from Jason Trombley, who was legislative director under three caucus leaders. Trombley fills a new position as a policy and budget analyst for state Chief Financial Officer Kate Nass at the Department of Administrative Services. 

Deputy Legislative Director Roxy Mayer also left the HMO and is now a press secretary for Kotek.

Jim McKenna joined the governor’s staff as the Columbia Basin federal adviser. He will manage the Columbia Agreement, which kicks off a 10-year process related to fish recovery, energy and dam removal on the Snake River.

Kotek appointed Christine K. Herbert and Matthew A. Rowan to the Jackson County Circuit Court, effective immediately, and James Gibson to the Columbia County Justice Court, effective July 31. Herbert takes over from retiring Judge Timothy Gerking. Rowan fills a new position. Gibson will replace Diana M. Shera Taylor, who is resigning.

In switches this week among Democratic senators from Portland, Kathleen Taylor took over as Oregon Senate majority leader, replacing Kate Lieber, who became co-chair of the Joint Ways & Means Committee after Elizabeth Steiner gave up that role to focus on her state treasurer campaign. In corresponding moves, Senate President Rob Wagner, D-Lake Oswego, appointed Sen. Wlnsvey Campos, D-Aloha, to the Joint Addiction and Community Safety Response Committee, replacing Steiner, and made Sen. Floyd Prozanski, D-Eugene, the co-chair. Wagner also appointed Taylor as chair of Senate Rules and Executive Appointments and Senate Republican Leader Daniel Bonham of The Dalles as vice chair. They replace chair Lieber and vice chair Tim Knopp, R-Bend.

Naomi Adeline-Biggs will become director of the Oregon Health Authority’s Public Health Division on Aug. 19. She has been Polk County public health administrator since 2022. Longtime OHA employee Cara Biddlecom, who served as interim director since October 2023, is moving to the East Coast. Kirsten Aird, interim deputy director, will fill in until Adeline-Biggs starts.

Michael Wood, former head of Oregon OSHA, returned to the state this week as deputy administrator of the Civil Rights Division at the Bureau of Labor and Industries. He currently is acting as interim administrator. For the past two-plus years, Wood was chief deputy commissioner in Washington state’s Office of the Insurance Commissioner.

Willis Homann, who worked for Democratic candidates and officeholders in Oregon, is now a government relations specialist at the Oregon School Employees Association. Most recently, he was event and donor development manager at Partnerships in Community Living.

Johnell Bell of Espousal Strategies was elected to the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials board.

Charles Boyle, who was part of Gov. Kate Brown’s communications staff, joined Portland Trail Blazers at the Rose Quarter as director of public affairs. Natalie King, who was Brown’s communications director, is senior vice president of communications and public affairs at the organization. Boyle had gone to work for PGE after Brown left office.

Deborah Kafoury has returned to public life as chief of staff for new Portland Public Schools Superintendent Kimberlee Armstrong. Kafoury was Multnomah County chair after she served in the Legislature, as did her parents.