Skip to main content
Gov. Tina Kotek has now replaced two of the six senior staffers who left her office in recent months.
The governor is bringing in Valerie Colas, a lawyer at the Oregon Judicial Department, to serve as her public safety adviser. Colas replaces Constantin Severe, the governor’s current public safety adviser. When Colas starts Sept. 3, Severe will move into the vacant deputy general counsel position that has been empty since Lindsey Burrows resigned in April.
Burrows was one of five high-level staffers who exited Kotek’s office in the spring. Although neither she nor the others have commented on their departures, emails make clear that chief of staff Andrea Cooper, special adviser Abby Tibbs and deputy chief of staff Lindsey O’Brien left because of conflict over the role of first lady Aimee Kotek Wilson in Kotek’s administration. People familiar with the office say Burrows and communications director An Do also left because of issues relating to the first lady.
Juliana Wallace, director of Kotek’s behavioral health initiative and the sixth senior staffer to depart, says her decision to return to Central City Concern was prompted by a desire to return to direct service. “I’m not leaving because of the first lady’s engagement with the office,” Wallace tells WW via text message. “I am looking forward to continuing my relationship with [Kotek’s team] in the behavioral health work ahead of us.” Wallace will work through Sept. 13, which gives the governor’s office time to hire a successor before she goes.
The other new hire announced today: Effective July 15, Roxy Mayer has moved from the Oregon House Majority Office to become one of the governor’s press secretaries, filling a vacancy Do’s departure created. (Elisabeth Shepard, formerly a press secretary, moved into Do’s spot as communications director. Mayer will take Shepard’s old position.)
Kotek earlier filled vacancies by promoting existing staff, including elevating deputy chief of staff Chris Warner to the chief position and moving policy advisers Taylor Smiley-Wolfe and Vince Porter to deputy chief of staff spots.
In her nearly 10 years as House speaker, Kotek enjoyed stable staffing largely free from drama. The turnover in high-level positions early in her tenure could make administrative work more difficult for the governor to achieve her goals.
Kotek spokeswoman Shepard says the administration is on track to achieve the governor’s top goals, which include increasing housing supply, reforming behavioral health services, and improving educational outcomes. (She also notes the governor has filled four staff vacancies unrelated to the first lady in recent months).
“Any concerns about the effectiveness of the governor’s ofice are unfounded,” Shepard says. “The governor has confidence in her executive leadership team and all the folks who work for her. She is grateful to the talented group of people who continue to step up daily to deliver the results Oregonians expect from their government.”