Senate President Names New Legislative Director

Senate President Peter Courtney

(SALEM) - Senate President Peter Courtney today announced that Brian Shipley will become his new Legislative Director, succeeding Jack Dempsey who will become Associate Director of Government Relations at Oregon Health & Science University.

This will be Shipley’s second stint in the Senate President’s office; he was Courtney’s Senior Policy Advisor before becoming Chief of Staff for the Senate Majority Office in 2004.

He was a Legislative Assistant before that, working for Sen. Frank Shields in 2003, Reps. Kitty Piercy and Judith Uherbelau in 1997 and Rep. Piercy in 1995. Shipley received his bachelor’s degree from Willamette University in Salem and law degree from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. He will begin transitioning into the Senate President’s office in September.

“Brian understands the legislative process and its committee structure. Plus, he’s knowledgeable about budgets, natural resources, education and health care. I don’t want to praise him too much because it’ll go to his head, but the guy’s a natural.”

Dempsey has been Courtney’s Legislative Director since 2003 and was a policy analyst in the Senate Democratic Office from 1999 through 2002. His last day in the Senate President’s office will be August 18. “Jack has been an excellent Legislative Director and will be a great asset to OHSU. We’ll miss him, but we wish him the best in his new endeavor,” said Courtney.