ODHS Leadership

Meet our leadership team

Liesl Wendt, ODHS Director

Liesl was confirmed as Director of ODHS in November 2025, after serving as Deputy Director since November 2018. She brings experience from both inside and outside ODHS during her more than 20 years working in government and non-profit sectors.

Liesl has served as a technical advisor to the Oregon Department of Justice on the temporary lodging of children and youth in our Child Welfare program. She was also the Director of Self-Sufficiency Programs, departing in 2014 to serve as an interim Multnomah County commissioner. She later became the Director of Multnomah County Human Services.

As the former Chief Executive Officer of 211info, a community information organization, Liesl built strong and enduring connections at the state and local level. During her five years with 211info, Liesl led the organization's expansion across Oregon, adoption of new communications technologies and an increase in the specialization of services.

Liesl has also worked in Oregon local government and with other non-profits in policy advocacy, community engagement and program management positions, and has held leadership roles with United Way Worldwide.

Dana Hittle, ODHS Deputy Director

Dana Hittle was appointed Deputy Director of ODHS in December 2025, after serving as the Interim Director of the Office of Developmental Disabilities Services (ODDS) since March 2024. She also served as ODDS’ Interim Deputy Director since October 2023. 

Prior to that, she spent 21 years of her public service career with the Oregon Medicaid program that covers more than 1.4 million individuals. Under her leadership as Medicaid Director, Oregon became the first state to provide continuous Medicaid coverage for individuals from birth to age 6. Oregon also became the first state to gain approval through a Section 1115 Medicaid waiver to provide services for health-related social needs, such as nutrition assistance, medically necessary short-term housing benefits and help managing the effects of climate change. 

Before serving as Medicaid Director, Dana served as Deputy Medicaid Director, Medicaid Liaison to ODHS and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for long-term services and supports, the Office of Aging and People with Disabilities’ (APD) Medicaid State Plan and Waiver Analyst, APD’s Medicaid Quality Assurance Analyst and an Assistant Estate Administrator.

Seth Lyon is the Chief Operations Officer for ODHS. He oversees 12 offices that help support the work of the department, including Contracts and Procurement; Facilities; Imaging and Records Management Services; Background Check Unit; Business Information Systems; Publications and Creative Services; Payment Accuracy and Recovery; and Program Integrity.

Seth joined ODHS in 2016. He first served as the training unit manager for the agency's Self-Sufficiency Programs (SSP), then as district manager in Clackamas County for SSP and Child Welfare. Seth previously worked for the Multnomah County Human Services Housing Team and Behavioral Health Division. Seth is a licensed clinical social worker who holds a master's degree in social work from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Rob Kodiriy, Chief Financial Officer

Rob Kodiriy joined ODHS in 2021 as Deputy Chief Financial Officer. He served as the Interim Chief Financial Officer starting in February 2023 and became the permanent Chief Financial Officer in June 2023. Since 1998, Rob has worked in various roles in finance and operations in publicly traded companies, non-governmental and nonprofit organizations, and private medium-sized companies, both in the U.S. and abroad. Before joining ODHS, he directed finance, budget and contracting services for the Multnomah County Department of Human Services. From 2011-2013, he served as a senior fiscal analyst at the Oregon Health Authority.

Rob has served in a variety of volunteer roles for organizations such as the Oregon Council of Health Care Interpreters, the Oregon HealthCare Interpreters Association, the Good News Community Health Center, the Portland Police Bureau and the City of Troutdale Budget Committee. Rob holds a military rank of lieutenant, a bachelor’s degree in economics from the Samarkand State University and an MBA from the University of Oregon.

Nakeshia Knight-Coyle, Office of Aging and People with Disabilities Director

Nakeshia Knight-Coyle was named Director of the Office of Aging and People with Disabilities (APD) in September 2022 after serving as the division's Interim Director.

A social justice leader who has served the State of Oregon since 2010, Nakeshia's expertise is in setting the strategic vision for human services organizations in collaboration with the communities they serve. She has over 25 years of health and human services experiences, both international and domestic, that have focused primarily in the public sphere. She previously served as APD's Equity Strategy Manager, a role in which she established a foundation for APD to systemically embed equity protocols in all policy and rulemaking as well as in its operations. Prior to rejoining ODHS in 2021, she served as the Senior Advisor for Equity Initiatives in Oregon's Early Learning Division. Her other roles with the Division included Director of Grants and Operations and Director of Programs and Cross Systems Integration. Earlier in her career she worked for APD as the Aging and Disability Resource Connection Coordinator and Interim Manager for the State Unit on Aging. 

Nakeshia earned a Ph.D. in Sociology from Portland State University, holds a Master's Degree in Social Welfare and has completed significant graduate studies in health policy, management and behavior at the State University of New York at Albany. She also has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology from Ohio University.

Rolanda Garcia, Child Welfare Division Interim Director

Rolanda Garcia was named the Interim Director of the Child Welfare Division in June 2025. Rolanda has worked for the Oregon Department of Human Services for over 27 years in a variety of leadership positions. Prior to joining ODHS, she worked as a manager in retail operations.

Rolanda is known for her data-driven approach to management and for building effective community partnerships to better serve Oregonians. She was the ODHS Washington County Child Welfare and Self-Sufficiency Programs district manager for 12 years before becoming Interim Director, and has also served as the Self-Sufficiency Programs Interim Deputy Director. Rolanda was instrumental in managing the ODHS Regional Demonstration Projects which encouraged programs and community partners to share resources, adapt to changing needs and improve equitable access to services.

Her experience as a bilingual and bicultural person contribute to her belief that strengthening family and community are the most powerful approaches to family and child well-being.

Darlene O’Keeffe, Office of Developmental Disabilities Services Interim Director

Darlene O’Keeffe was named Interim Director of the Office of Developmental Disabilities Services (ODDS) in September 2025. She has been with ODHS since 2002, where she held several leadership positions. She has served as interim deputy director for ODDS since March 2024.

Darlene started her professional career working in the mental health field. She joined ODHS as a quality assurance analyst in the Medicaid Waiver Unit of what is now the Office of Aging and People with Disabilities. She then moved to ODDS and spent 10 years as regional coordinator. In that role, she worked closely with community developmental disabilities programs. Darlene also served as ODDS’ quality assurance manager. She helped develop a quality assurance process for case management entities to ensure they met federal Medicaid requirements. From 2017–2024, she led the ODDS Quality Management Unit.

Darlene holds a master’s degree in public administration from Eastern Washington University.

Nathan Singer, Oregon Eligibility Partnership Director

Nathan Singer is the Director of the Oregon Eligibility Partnership (OEP). OEP was formed in 2021 to support staff who determine eligibility for people applying for and receiving medical, food, cash and child care benefits. It also manages the ONE Eligibility system used to process applications and deliver these benefits to one in three people in Oregon, working alongside the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) and the Department of Early Learning and Care (DELC).

Nathan has worked for ODHS since 2006, focusing on eligibility and case management for older adults and people with disabilities. He has played a key role in many projects aimed at helping individuals live independently in their communities and improving health and human services in Oregon. Under his leadership, Oregon has become a national leader in service delivery transformation. Oregon is noted for early use of artificial intelligence in social services to reduce manual tasks, creating more capacity for staff to provide personalized service and easier access to benefits and supports people need to thrive.

Nathan holds a Bachelor of Science degree in sociology from Brigham Young University and a Master of Business Administration degree from Eastern Oregon University.

Claire Seguin, Self-Sufficiency Programs Director

Claire Seguin was appointed the Self-Sufficiency Programs Director in July 2023 after previously serving as the Interim Director and deputy director. She is also the State Refugee Coordinator for Oregon.

Claire has more than 30 years of experience in community development. During this time she has led successful community development corporations in southern California, built affordable housing, worked on community revitalization and has been a strong advocate for anti-poverty programs.

Claire came to ODHS from Oregon Housing and Community Services where she served as the assistant Director of housing stabilization, overseeing Homeless Services, Energy Services, the Individual Development Account program and HUD Contract Administration from 2015-2019. She served five years as executive Director for both the Neighborhood Economic Development Corporation (NEDCO) and Community LendingWorks, its affiliate community development financial institution, which provides coordinated and comprehensive asset building programs to Lane, Marion and Clackamas counties.

She attended the University of Arizona to study Communications-Radio and Television and has completed executive education programs at San Diego State University, Indiana University, the Harvard Business School and Notre Dame.

Keith Ozols, Vocational Rehabilitation Services Director

Keith Ozols was named Director of Vocational Rehabilitation in July 2019. He has been with ODHS since 2011. Keith previously served as the VR workforce and youth manager since 2015, overseeing the expansion of programs relating to workforce engagement, benefits planning, the Oregon Ticket to Work program and multiple transition programs for students with disabilities.

Prior to joining ODHS, Keith was the Executive Director of Incight, a Portland-based nonprofit that provides educational and employment services for people with disabilities. His prior experience includes counseling English language learners in workforce, college and career readiness.

Dion Jordan, Office of Equity and Multicultural Services Director

Dion Jordan is currently the Director of the Office of Equity and Multicultural Services. He helps lead the Oregon Department of Human Services to become more equitable, accessible and racially just. Prior to serving as Director of OEMS, Dion was the Equity and Inclusion Manager of Multnomah County's Human Resources Department.

With over 15 years of experience in this field, Dion has helped to bring a sense of trust, safety and belonging to all while embedding equity and inclusion within organizations, people, places, policies and practices.

George B. Lopez, Office of Tribal Affairs Director

George B. Lopez joins ODHS after serving as the former General Manager of the Tribal Administration Department for The Klamath Tribes, where he oversaw a $5 million budget and led key operations in accounting, personnel, grants, facilities and communications. A dedicated advocate for tribal sovereignty, he played a central role in securing Oregon’s official recognition of the Tribe’s law enforcement unit in 2023. His leadership was pivotal in community initiatives such as elder housing development and cultural preservation efforts across the region.