Applications Requested to Fill Public Records Advocate Vacancy
Oregon Secretary of State sent this bulletin at 09/19/2017 04:51 PM PDT
P R E S S R E L E A S E
Secretary of State
DENNIS RICHARDSON The State of Oregon
DATE: September 19, 2017
Secretary of State Dennis Richardson Announces
Public Records Advocate Vacancy and Requests Applications
Salem,
OR—Today, Secretary of State Dennis Richardson announced that he will be accepting
applications to fill a vacancy in the office of the Public Records Advocate,
which was created by SB
106
(2017). Secretary Richardson is the chair of the Public Records Advisory
Council, which will consider applications and forward three nominees to
Governor Kate Brown. The nominee appointed by the Governor must be confirmed by
the Oregon Senate before taking office.
The
Public Records Advocate will provide facilitated dispute resolution services
for public records requests and conduct trainings on the requirements and best
practices for processing and responding to public records requests. The Public
Records Advocate will be appointed to a four-year term, will be located in the
State Archives Building, and will serve in the unclassified service. The Public
Records Advocate will be responsible for setting up the new Public Records
Advocate Office, hiring a deputy, and overseeing a legislatively approved budget
of $633,187 for the 2017-19 biennium.
The
Public Records Advocate’s salary and benefit package has not been finalized but
will be decided by the Public Records Advisory Council and Department of
Administrative Services. The position is expected to be filled at the equivalent of
a Principle Executive Manager G Level, which has a salary range that varies
between $7,352 and $13,816 per month.
Senate
Bill 106 requires applicants to be a member in good standing of the Oregon
State Bar. Desired attributes include experience with facilitated dispute
resolution or other mediation, conducting public trainings, and managing a
small group of employees. Attorneys in good standing with the Oregon State Bar with
a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences are encouraged to apply,
especially veterans.
Interested
applicants should email applications to: Melissa Gubbels, Senior Human
Resources Analyst, Office of the Secretary of State, at: melissa.j.gubbels@oregon.gov Applications
are due by 11:00 p.m. on October 1, 2017. Applications must include a cover
letter, resume, and writing sample (or excerpt) that is no longer than five
pages.
The
Public Records Advisory Council will meet in the State Archives Building within
ten business days to decide which applicants to interview. Section 9 of SB 106
requires the Council to hold its first meeting within ten business days of
Senate confirmation of Council members, which occurred on September 19, 2017.
The Secretary of State’s office is currently reaching out to newly appointed Council
members to determine scheduling.
For
questions about the application process, please contact Melissa Gubbels at
503-986-2169. For questions about the Public Records Advisory Council, please
contact Steve Elzinga at 503-986-2259.