A month after departures, Gov. Kotek reshuffles staff

UPDATED at 1.58 p.m. on April 18, 2024 with some salaries and other details.

Gov. Tina Kotek announced a partial reshuffling of her cabinet on Thursday, about a month after she announced the abrupt departure of top staff and a more prominent role for her wife.

She named Chris Warner chief of staff, a promotion from his role as deputy chief of staff of public administration. In that role he was in charge of oversight of state agencies. As chief of staff, he’ll oversee the office. The duties are wide-ranging and include setting policies and priorities and managing resources to carry out the governor’s mission along with approving the budget and ensuring that her vision is advanced.

Kotek said in a news release that Warner has more than 30 years of policy and political experience, including as director of the Portland Bureau of Transportation, which has a $500 million budget. Warner, who’s from Baker City, also worked in the administration of former Gov. Ted Kulongoski and was a top aide to U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden.

“Chris Warner brings years of experience leading teams to implement large-scale initiatives, navigating complex budget cycles for both local and state government, and contributing executive-level management skills to challenges large and small,” Kotek said in a release. “I am excited he has stepped up to serve Oregonians in this new role.”

Warner, who will make $269,772 per year, is replacing Andrea Cooper, who earned $302,976 per year as chief of staff and continues to make the same as senior adviser to Berri Leslie, director of the Department of Administrative Services. Kotek’s office has declined to comment on Cooper’s sudden departure, citing personnel affairs, and Cooper has not publicly commented either. Her departure coincided with the departures of two other two staff: Senior adviser Abby Tibbs returned to Oregon Health & Science University, and Lindsey O’Brief, a longtime Kotek aide, took leave in early April from her position as deputy chief of staff. At the same time, Aimee Kotek Wilson, Kotek’s wife, moved into an office and was assigned a temporary aide, Meliah Masiba, on March 25. Kotek Wilson, a social worker, has accompanied Kotek on her statewide listening sessions and is interested in behavioral health, one of Kotek’s priorities. Under Oregon law, she’s considered a public official but does not earn a salary and is a volunteer. A Kotek spokeswoman, Elisabeth Shepard, said Kotek Wilson regularly attends weekly meetings linked to Kotek’s schedule and occasionally represents the governor’s office at events.

Sources have speculated that Kotek Wilson’s ascension in the administration sparked the departures of the three top staff.

Kotek asked the Oregon Government Ethics Commission for guidance about the role of her spouse in the office’s policy work. The commission said it cannot weigh in until it resolves pending complaints about the role of Kotek Wilson in the office. 

Besides Warner’s promotion, Kotek announced other changes. She made Taylor Smiley Wolfe deputy chief of staff for the governor’s initiatives. Smiley Wolfe was on Kotek’s transition team and has led her homelessness and housing initiatives in her administration. 

“Smiley Wolfe brings leadership experience developing and advancing outcomes-oriented policy initiatives at different levels of government,” Kotek said in a statement. 

Previously she served as director of policy and planning at Home Forward, the housing agency of Multnomah County, and policy director in the state House speaker’s office.

Vince Porter, formerly Kotek’s economic development and workforce adviser, will serve as deputy chief of staff for public administration, taking over from Warner. Porter previously worked on affordable and accessible health care as the director of Regence Health Policy Center, a policy organization focused on Oregon, Washington Idaho and Utah. Porter also served as an economic development policy adviser for former Gov.s John Kitzhaber and Kate Brown.

Kate Nass will stay in her current position as chief financial officer for the state of Oregon while joining Kotek’s team to direct the budget work. Nass, with 14 years of budget and policy experience, previously served as the state’s deputy chief financial officer, the Oregon Health Authority’s deputy director of finance and a state policy and budget analyst.

Matthew Tschabold will serve as the new housing and homelessness initiative director, taking over for Smiley Wolfe. Tschabold has also worked as Kotek’s housing adviser and pushed for passage of Senate Bill 1537, part of Kotek’s housing package that passed the Legislature this session. 

Previously, Tschabold was policy and planning manager and deputy director of the Portland Housing Bureau and has 20 years of experience at the state and local level in community development and planning, public administration and finance, the release said.

“These individuals have each meaningfully contributed to the progress my administration has made for Oregonians thus far,” Kotek said. “The breadth and depth of experience on this team will deliver results for Oregonians in every part of the state.” 

Other top members of Kotek’s leadership team are:

• Andre Bealer, equity and racial justice director
• An Do, public affairs chief
• Richard Lane, general counsel
• Berri Leslie, state chief operating officer and DAS director
• Bob Livingston, legislative director

The announcement said that O’Brief remains on Kotek’s staff but as deputy chief of staff for public engagement.