Oregon insiders: Who’s who in and around state government
Published 4:45 pm Thursday, November 3, 2022
- OREGON CAPITAL INSIDER - Carpet in the Oregon governor's ceremonial office in the state Capitol in Salem
Dominique Rossi, the interim caucus director for the Oregon Senate Democrats, will become state lobbyist for the city of Portland. Rossi, who has worked for the Senate Majority Office since 2017 and was legislative director, has filled in since Tom Powers left in August to become government relations manager at Washington County. Her last day is Friday. Communications Director Stephen Watson then will serve as interim caucus director.
Rep. Chris Hoy, D-Salem, was sworn this week as Salem’s new mayor. Having won the May primary election, he was scheduled to become mayor in January. The City Council unanimously appointed him to the unpaid position on Wednesday after Mayor Chuck Bennett, a former lobbyist and legislator, resigned early because he was moving out-of-state. Hoy was appointed to the House District 21 seat after December after Salem Rep. Brian Clem resigned. Hoy did not seek election to the Legislature and currently serves on only one House committee, Behavioral Health.
Mary Anne Cooper, a longtime lobbyist at the Oregon Farm Bureau where she was vice president of government and legal affairs, has joined Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon as director of government affairs. She will oversee the company’s state legislative and regulatory efforts.
Greg Addington takes over as executive director of the Oregon Farm Bureau on Nov. 21. Addington serves on the Oregon Environmental Quality Commission and the Watershed Enhancement Board, worked as a Farm Bureau lobbyist early in his career, led the Klamath Water Users Association for over 10 years, was chief of staff for Rep. Vikki Breese-Iverson, R-Prineville, and owns a natural resource consulting firm in Klamath Falls.
Georgine Gleason has been named state right of way manager at the Oregon Department of Transportation. Gleason came to ODOT in 2011 as a right of way agent with a background in commercial real estate. She advanced to senior right of way agent, property management agent, appraisal review, chief appraiser, and management and policy adviser for the right of way team before being named interim state right of way manager in February.
Claire Withycombe, who covered state government for the Salem Statesman Journal for two-plus years and previously for EO Media Group and the Oregon Capital Insider, this week began a similar job with the Seattle Times.
