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Brown Appoints Directors For Agriculture Department, Oregon Lottery

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown named Alexis Taylor, left, to head the state Department of Agriculture and and Barry Pack to lead the Oregon Lottery.
Office of the Governor
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown named Alexis Taylor, left, to head the state Department of Agriculture and and Barry Pack to lead the Oregon Lottery.

Oregon Governor Kate Brown has filled two high-profile vacancies in state government. The Democrat announced Friday appointments to head the Oregon Lottery and the Oregon Department of Agriculture.

Brown chose Alexis Taylor to head the Oregon Department of Agriculture. Taylor currently works in expanding international trade opportunities at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. She replaces long-time Oregon Agriculture chief Katy Coba, who left the agency this summer to serve as the head of the Oregon Department of Administrative Services.

The selection of Taylor to head the Department of Agriculture drew immediate praise from both the Oregon Farm Bureau and the Oregon Cattleman's Association. The latter called it "exciting news for the cattle industry of Oregon" and expressed hope that Taylor's experience working with international trade at the USDA would help Oregon cattle farmers develop new export markets.

For the Oregon Lottery, Brown appointed Barry Pack. Pack has held several roles in state government including working directly under Brown when she was secretary of state. He replaces Jack Roberts, who was fired in April.

Both Taylor and Pack's appointments will need to be confirmed by the Oregon Senate.

Copyright 2016 Northwest News Network

Chris Lehman graduated from Temple University with a journalism degree in 1997. He landed his first job less than a month later, producing arts stories for Red River Public Radio in Shreveport, Louisiana. Three years later he headed north to DeKalb, Illinois, where he worked as a reporter and announcer for NPR–affiliate WNIJ–FM. In 2006 he headed west to become the Salem Correspondent for the Northwest News Network.