Kotek touts faster hiring, lower vacancy rates and transfer of Public Defense Commission to executive branch

Gov. Tina Kotek said her administration has focused on improving state business operations and staffing and that the executive branch welcomed the Oregon Public Defense Commission into its agency ranks.

Kotek said she sent a letter of expectations to agency leaders in her first week in office and has appointed more than a dozen agency directors. She reported operational improvements, including moving two weeks faster on hiring, lowering staff vacancy rates by one-third and higher employee engagement. "Staff vacancy rates have fallen by a third, and employees are more engaged," she said.

The governor said agencies have improved strategic planning for operations, emergency response, technology processes and equity work, and that dashboards now track audit recommendation implementation and other metrics. She said the current focus includes improving transparency and consistency in state agency rulemaking.

Kotek also thanked the Legislature for transferring the Oregon Public Defense Commission into the executive branch and said she looks forward to working with the commission and the public-defense community to meet constitutional obligations to provide counsel to defendants in a timely and cost-efficient manner.

Her statements described completed administrative actions (agency hires and operational changes) and cited a recent organizational change for the Public Defense Commission; she presented additional administrative improvements as ongoing priorities.