Johnna Timmes starts work Monday as Gov. Tina Kotek’s education initiative director. Timmes founded Change Achievement, assisted Stand for Children, worked for the Northwest Regional Education Service District and Oregon Department of Education, and was an education consultant. For six years, she taught pre-K, kindergarten or second grade.

Rebecca Tweed and her Tweed Strategies team won the 14 political campaigns they ran this year. After the election, she announced on social media that those were her final ones after 18 years, 111 campaigns and a 93% success rate.

Oregon House Republicans will select a new caucus leader. Hood River Rep. Jeff Helfrich will not seek another term as Republican leader despite being reelected to the Legislature last week. In a defiant letter to colleagues, Helfrich said he tired of the ongoing drama and strife within the caucus: “I went into the job expecting tough fights with Democratic leadership. Instead, the toughest fights were with the caucus and party.” 

Incoming Attorney General Dan Rayfield announced that Lisa Udland would continue as deputy attorney general in the Oregon Department of Justice. Jenn Baker will be Rayfield’s chief of staff, having filled that role for Rayfield when he was House speaker.

Senate President Rob Wagner and House Speaker Julie Fahey made numerous changes to the Wildfire Programs Advisory Council:

• Appointed: Branden Pursinger, Ty Darby, Patrick Skrip, Chad Washington, William Messner, Garrett West, Ilene Varga.

• Reappointed: Jim McCauley, Nick Browne, Samantha Bayer, Terry Fairbanks.

• Discharged: Mark Bennett, Chase Browning, Ian Yocum, Debi Lorence, Allen Berreth, Karna Gustafson, Rene Braga.

Christopher McMorran, who is chief of staff for Rep. Lisa Reynolds, D-Beaverton, was elected mayor of Philomath.

Keizer Mayor Cathy Clark, who retired last year from the Oregon Department of Aviation, won a sixth term in office. Her opponent was her predecessor as mayor, Lore Christopher, who in 2019 retired as the Legislature’s longtime human resources director.

After 30 years of state service, investigator Monica Walker is retiring from the Oregon Government Ethics Commission.

Anna Braun is handling government relations work for the Oregon Public Defense Commission for three months while an employee is on maternity leave. Braun is a lobbyist, a lawyer specializing in consumer law and a former top legislative aide.

Tyler Frisbee, who was senior strategic adviser to retiring Congressman Earl Blumenauer, joined Portland State University as director of the Institute of Portland Metropolitan Studies.

Gov. Kotek will appointment a replacement for Multnomah County Circuit Judge Thomas M. Ryan, who is resigning as of Nov. 30. Applications are due Dec. 11.

Dax Messett, of Medford, joined the Oregon Marine Board. Kotek appointed him to represent commercial and recreational boating in Southern Oregon.