Berri Leslie, Oregon’s Top Bureaucrat, Will Step Down in June

Leslie runs the Oregon Department of Administrative Services.

Berri Leslie

Berri Leslie will resign in June from her job as director of the Department of Administrative Services, which handles budgeting, asset management, finance, human resources, technology and many other functions of state government.

Leslie, whose annual salary is $322,824, submitted her resignation in late January, noting in a message to Gov. Tina Kotek’s senior staff that her husband is suffering from an incurable form of brain cancer.

“I’m submitting my resignation as DAS Director,” she wrote to Gov. Tina Kotek’s office Jan. 29. “It has been such a HUGE honor to work for Gov. Kotek and so rewarding to work with all of you on the team. Truly, I am endlessly grateful for the opportunity to have served this administration and to have served more than 27 years for the state of Oregon—it is always an honor to serve Oregonians and their families."

Leslie worked in a variety of high-level roles in state government, including serving as deputy chief of staff to Gov. Kate Brown before Kotek selected her to lead DAS in 2023.

In a statement, Kotek thanked Leslie for her contributions to the state.

“Berri is an exemplary leader who is deeply committed to improving the lives of Oregonians and making state government work for everyone,” Kotek said. “I am grateful for her service and her commitment to excellence. Her talents will be sorely missed. I wish her and her family good health, and there will always be a place for her in state service.”

This story was produced by the Oregon Journalism Project, a nonprofit newsroom covering rural Oregon. OJP seeks to inform, engage, and empower readers with investigative and watchdog reporting that makes an impact. Our stories appear in partner newspapers across the state.

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