Giving Thanks
This year has been full of tragedy for many Oregonians. I think that each of us in some way has been touched by these tragedies, in some cases related to the pandemic, racial injustices or the catastrophic fires. It has been one of the most difficult years we have endured as a community. Acknowledging all that we have been through this year, I still hope that you can take a moment to give thanks for the things we do have in our lives, be it food on the table, the children in our arms, or the love in our hearts. I hope you can find some joy in this coming season of thanks and of giving.
2021 Oregon Kid Governor
We are excited to announce that Oregon’s 2021 Kid Governor has been chosen. A fifth grader, Taneesh Garg of Springville K-8 in Portland, has been elected by his peers as our next Kid Governor! His community issue is focused on stopping racism and you can watch his campaign video online. Oregon’s 2020 Kid Governor Raaga Mandala presented Taneesh with the good news in front of his whole classroom on Zoom. Taneesh’s one year term will begin in January 2021, with his inauguration. The other final candidates included:
Ruthie - Helping Kids Dream Big about their Future
Phia - Littering: Helping to Keep Oregon Green and Clean
Lohith - Global Warming and Climate Change
Evie - Shelter Animals
Brennah - Air Pollution
Abhi - Saving the Environment
The Kid Governor program is open to all fifth grade students in Oregon and is a civics program that helps students learn the importance of civic engagement and leadership. To learn more about the Kid Governor Program and to view all of the candidate videos visit the Oregon Kid Governor website. Congratulations Taneesh!
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2020 General Election
In the months leading up to the 2020 General Election, I challenged all Oregon voters to remain engaged in our democracy and be sure to participate in this year’s election. Not only did you participate, but unofficial numbers show that we have had a record number turnout with over 2.4 million ballots cast. We proved to the nation that vote by mail works, and is safe and secure! Thank you for participating and making your voices heard. The official election results will be certified on December 3rd and the Electoral College will take place on December 14th which will be available to watch by livestream.
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Audits
Oregon Bottle Bill
Oregon demonstrated its pioneering spirit when the Bottle Bill was enacted into law in 1971. With the 50th anniversary of this innovative legislation coming up, the Audits Division has issued an audit that identified several ways we could help further the original policy goals of conservation and decreasing litter. Auditors found the state could be doing more to collect unreturned bottle deposits, either by modifying unclaimed property laws, tying future deposit increases to redemption rates, or expanding the Bottle Bill to include wine and liquor. Auditors also explained that, while the Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative has already implemented many strategies to improve the consumer experience, more could be done to provide accessibility, accountability, and convenience for consumers.
Statewide Data Privacy and Incident Response
The Audits Division also released an audit that found Oregon does not have an enterprise privacy program to manage data privacy risk. Many state agencies collect personally identifiable information on Oregonians – health and vital records, driving records, education data, and tax information, to name a few. However, because Oregon does not have a statewide official who is responsible or accountable for managing the risk that comes with this private data, agencies are left on their own to determine what personally identifiable information is and how to best safeguard it. The Department of Administrative Services could be doing more to provide guidance in this area.
You can read all of our audit reports online.
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Going the Extra Mile
Bryan Edgerton- Information Services Division
Bryan is the Project Management Team-Lead in our Information Resources Division. Bryan leads the efforts of the agency Project Management Office to coordinate agency efforts to identify, prioritize, and successfully execute technology initiatives and projects that are aligned with the Oregon Secretary of State Agency goals. In addition, Bryan also manages a full-plate as the primary project manager for Elections Division projects. One of the Elections projects Bryan is responsible for implementing is the new multi-factor authentication (MFA) system for the Oregon Central Voter Registration (OCVR) system used by Oregon’s 36 county elections offices. MFA for OCVR is currently being rolled-out to counties and will provide enhanced security of Oregon voter and election data. Bryan is also leading the project effort to modernize the OCVR system by working with Elections Division and County election staff to develop and document requirements that will help Oregon replace and upgrade a 16-year old computer system. This multi-year effort will position Oregon’s Voter Registration system for long-term success and security. Thanks Bryan!
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Mary Wenger- Audits Division
Mary serves as the Audit Division’s Deputy Director and is a shining example of an elite public service leader and manager. Mary, who reached her 30 year work anniversary milestone with the Division earlier this year, performs a critical role and has been instrumental in the Division’s many successes and nationally recognized audit work over her years of service. With a high degree of competency, organization, and timeliness, she expertly executes her broad and diverse work portfolio responsibilities, including overseeing the financial, performance, municipal audit, hotline, and IT audit teams. Mary is deeply invested and committed to the mission and employees of the Division, to the Secretary of State’s office, and to ensuring the Division’s work benefits Oregonians. Mary’s technical expertise and superb management skills combined with her strong sense of empathy, extraordinary work ethic, humility, and commitment are truly special, and we are very pleased to have her as a member of the Secretary of State’s leadership team.
I am very pleased to recognize both Bryan Edgerton and Mary Wenger in this month’s newsletter. They both are shining examples of the great employees we have here at the Secretary of State’s office and am proud to have them as integral members of our team.
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