FILE - Then-Sen. Tim Knopp walks through the Oregon Capitol in Salem, Ore., Dec. 12, 2024.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB
In December, Gov. Tina Kotek announced that Oregon was open for business.
For help, the Democratic governor is turning to a Republican who might be best known for shutting down the Legislature.
Kotek announced Wednesday that she is hiring former state Sen. Tim Knopp as her new chief prosperity officer.
The former longtime lawmaker from Bend will be tasked with meeting Kotek’s goal of finding ways to ease burdens on businesses and stem a recent tide of job losses.
“To be successful, this role demands a unique set of skills — an entrepreneurial spirit, a systems thinker, and equal parts pragmatism and persistence,” Kotek said in a release Wednesday. “Tim is going to be a great part of my team, and I am grateful that he has agreed to step up and serve Oregonians.”
Beginning next week, Knopp will work in Kotek’s office alongside other staff, earning $191,658 a year. But it wasn’t long ago that he was a major thorn in the governor’s side.
During the 2023 legislative session, he led Senate Republicans on a six-week walkout that all but shut down legislative action and raised the prospect lawmakers would not be able to pass a budget on time.
As a result of that boycott, Knopp was barred from seeking reelection in 2024. He currently works as executive vice president of the Central Oregon Builders Association, a role he will depart to join the governor’s team.
“When the Governor calls on you to drive prosperity for Oregonians across the state, grow the economy, and support Oregon businesses, the answer is yes,” Knopp said in a statement. He did not respond to inquiries from OPB.
Kotek announced her business prosperity initiative in early December, on the eve of announcing her reelection bid.
The effort includes a 16-member “prosperity council,” tasked with recommending public policy changes that can make it easier to build and grow businesses in Oregon, and juice the state’s reputation for business nationwide. Kotek announced members of that council last week. It will meet in private.
A recent study from CNBC ranked Oregon 39th in the country in terms of overall business environment — far lower than the state’s showing in previous years. Kotek said she wants to get the Beaver State into the top 10.
Oregon state Sen. Tim Knopp, R-Bend, speaks on the Senate floor, March 1, 2024, at the Oregon state Capitol in Salem, Ore.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB
In his new role, Knopp will work alongside the prosperity council, but also look for actions the governor can take on her own to assist businesses.
Kotek’s selection has drawn widespread surprise in business circles this week, with some privately expressing skepticism at the choice. Knopp doesn’t have an extensive background in economic development.
Outward signs suggest Kotek struggled to fill the prosperity officer role. The governor initially pledged to announce a hire by New Year’s Day, but four members of the state’s business lobby told OPB inquiries to several possible candidates were not successful.
A spokeswoman for Kotek declined to comment on who the governor sought for the job.
