This Oregon Blue Book is dedicated to the outstanding professionals and servant leaders who go above and beyond to make Oregon’s Office of the Secretary of State a leader in Oregon government.

The Office of the Secretary of State is responsible for auditing state agencies to keep them transparent and accountable to the people who pay the bills, registering and assisting Oregon businesses to be successful and create jobs, protecting and conducting Oregon’s elections, and managing, preserving and providing access to records created by Oregon government. 

Our Audits Division with only 72 staff members, over the past two years, executed a plethora of highly impactful performance and financial audits that saved the state tens of millions of tax payer dollars. The issuance of the Keeping Oregon Accountable report summarizes the Division’s two largest financial audits of the state’s financial statements and compliance with federal money allocation requirements. The Audits team published their first ever Audit Plan and opened communications to Oregonians regarding audit findings, best practices, and agency responses. Such outstanding Audits work helps ensure Oregon government agencies remain transparent and accountable for expenditures at the state and national levels. Truly, the Audits Division staff are serving as the “people’s auditors.”

Our Corporation Division is supported by a staff of 32 who provide business registry and Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) services, notary public management which authenticates and certifies Oregonians’ personal documents, and offers small business advocacy to Oregon entrepreneurs. This division routinely contributes more than $45 million in annual revenue to the Oregon treasury. Annually, Corporations Division provides assistance to more than 150,000 customers by phone and email and processes over 800,000 customer documents and filings. Recently, they implemented the Shell Company Bill to help prevent money laundering and tax evasion. It is no surprise that the Corporations Division’s customer service ratings are among the best in the nation. In addition, the division’s three Small Business Advocates are international leaders in the Ombudsman community, and last year, they completed almost 70 outreach events in communities from Burns to Brookings, handled 7,439 calls and processed over 1,650 cases and are on track this year to surpass all previous years’ accomplishments!

Our Elections Division, with a staff of just 16, conduct Oregon’s elections for local, state, and national offices. These 16 patriots ensure that Oregonians’ Constitutional right to vote without intimidation or undue influence is protected. In addition to administering elections, the division is implementing new technologies and adding new languages to our webpage making registering to vote easier. More than 60,000 Oregon voters remain active voters because we broke with a decades-long unnecessarily restrictive interpretation of the law governing inactive status. In addition, the Elections Division investigates election complaints and ensures the integrity of one of the most valued and fundamental rights we hold dear as Americans—the right to vote. 

Our Archives Division employs 21 team members who meticulously manage all of Oregon’s public records, preserve and provide access to Oregon’s priceless historical records, and publish Oregon’s Administrative Rules and the Oregon Blue Book. In addition to their daily operational work, the Archives Division is leading the way in a number of innovative and forward-looking projects. For example, the Archives Division has created the Oregon Records Management System (ORMS), a unique public-private partnership implementing the first statewide electronic records management solution of its kind in the nation. They have implemented a completely automated Oregon Administrative Rules database which brings an unprecedented level of transparency into the rule-making process of all state agencies. 

In 2017, Archives introduced “Oregon’s Kid Governor,” the award-winning civics program that brings a level of civics training never before seen in our elementary public schools. This dedicated team has also created artistic and beautiful exhibits like “Black in Oregon” where even the most sensitive of topics is addressed in a historically correct and enlightened manner. Lastly, in 2017, the Archives Division spearheaded the restoration and protection of Oregon’s aging Constitution as its binding and pages had deteriorated from decades of neglect.

Our Administrative Services Division is made up of the Executive Office, Human Resources, Business Services, and Information Systems. These 66 staff members are responsible for agency governance, planning, administration, assessment and oversight, recruitment, employee relations, benefits and compensation, employee training, safety and risk management, procurement, accounting, budget and finance management, mail handling, facilities management, and all agency IT services including project management, application design and development, infrastructure operations, web services, customer management, and security. From eProcurement to Cloud computing, from Succession Planning to the unprecedented outreach to the minority communities of Oregon, the Administrative Division units are breaking stereotypes and are on the cutting edge of innovation.  

In sum, as Servant Leaders, the staff of the Office of Oregon’s Secretary of State is applying their experience, knowledge, and abilities to improve transparency, accountability, and integrity in Oregon government. For the many unprecedented accomplishments and limitless commitment to the people of Oregon, I dedicate this book to the outstanding professionals with whom I have been so privileged to serve.

 

Introduction from Secretary of State Dennis Richardson | Welcome from Governor Kate Brown