Elizabeth Steiner, Treasurer

Oregon State Treasurer, Serves by position

Elizabeth Steiner is Oregon’s 30th Treasurer. She is the first woman and first physician to hold this office. Born in New York and raised in Massachusetts, she moved to Oregon in 1991 for her family medicine residency at OHSU. Within in six months of arriving she knew Oregon was home and has been here ever since.

Elizabeth served in the State Senate for thirteen years prior to being elected Treasurer. She served as Senate Co-Chair of the Joint Committee on Ways & Means for six years, gaining expertise in managing the state’s budget, engaging in economic development across the state, and working closely with Treasury regarding bonding. Her policy work focused on upstream public health including raising the legal age for tobacco & e-cigarettes to 21 and creating the nation’s first universally-offered home visiting program for families with new babies.

As a family physician Elizabeth knows that financial security is critical for good physical and mental health. She is excited to help more Oregonians achieve better health by building financial security through financial empowerment programs and use of various savings programs offered through the Oregon Treasury.

The State Treasurer is a voting member of the Oregon 529 Savings Board per 2017 ORS 178.310.

Attorney, Watkinson Laird Rubenstein, PC, Appointed June 25, 2024

Cathy’s primary areas of practice are business law and estate planning. In her business practice she focuses on contracts, leases, and entity formations. With respect to her estate planning practice, she advises clients on wills, trusts, probate, and trust administration. Cathy’s tax background and experience serves as a complement to both her business and estate planning practices.

Cathy also represents clients who are seeking to grow their families through adoption or Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART), which includes surrogacy with the use of sperm, egg, and/or embryo donors. She works with all family types including: single parents, married or unmarried couples, same and opposite sex couples, and transgender clients.

Cathy is a Midwest native who has lived in Oregon for over 10 years. Since moving to Eugene, she enjoys volunteering at the Oregon Community Foundation and rooting for the Ducks. Cathy also devotes her time to her two teenage daughters, keeping up on local and Midwest sports teams, and continuing to explore the nature and beauty of Oregon.

Brett Turner

Advocates for Life Skills and Opportunity (ALSO), Appointed March 1, 2024

Brett Turner has dedicated his entire life to serving people who experience developmental, intellectual, and other disabilities. He is the CEO of Advocates for Life Skills and Opportunity (ALSO), an Oregon nonprofit that support hundreds of people throughout Oregon. ALSO is headquartered in Portland and serves 9 frontier, rural and urban counties. He is deeply passionate about ensuring people with disabilities live, work, play and thrive in our communities. Brett started his career as a Direct Support Professional in a pivotal time in Oregon when our state institution (Fairview) for people with developmental and intellectual disabilities was downsizing and eventually closed. He is excited about the possibilities of ABLE and 529 Savings plan can do for people with disabilities furthering possibilities for people to increase independence, education, and financial growth for ALL.

Brett holds a bachelor’s degree from Linfield University in Business Management, Minor in Environmental Studies, and a master’s in business administration in Nonprofit Management from the University of Portland.

Mark Blegen

President of Linfield University, Appointed May 18, 2026

Mark Blegen is an experienced academic leader, educator and advocate for the liberal arts with a career spanning more than two decades in higher education. Before coming to Linfield, he served as provost and vice president for academic affairs at Carroll University in Wisconsin. While there, he oversaw a $40 million academic affairs budget and led initiatives that included launching the university’s first Ph.D. program, expanding graduate offerings and partnering with a Milwaukee high school to establish an associate degree in nursing for bilingual students. He also played a central role in advancing inclusive hiring practices, expanding tenure-track opportunities, stabilizing enrollment and fundraising for the institution.

Prior to his work at Carroll, Blegen held faculty and leadership positions at St. Catherine University in Minnesota, including dean of the Henrietta Schmoll School of Health and chair of the Department of Nutrition and Exercise Science. He began his academic career teaching and coaching, including winning two national championships as an assistant football coach at the University of Mount Union. He is a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine and previously worked with the U.S. Olympic Committee. He earned his Ph.D. in exercise physiology from Kent State University, a master’s degree from St. Cloud State University and a bachelor’s degree from St. Olaf College. Outside of his professional life, he is also a proud father to two daughters, Krin and Lyv.

Dr. Richard J. Bailey, Jr.

President of Southern Oregon University,  Appointed June 11, 2025

Dr. Richard J. Bailey, Jr. has served as President of Southern Oregon University since January 2022, bringing with him a wealth of leadership experience from a 24-year career in the U.S. Air Force and five years as president of Northern New Mexico College. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the U.S. Air Force Academy, a master’s in international affairs from Washington University in St. Louis, and a doctorate in government from Georgetown University. At SOU, he has led transformative initiatives, including the SOU Forward plan to address a $13 million budget shortfall, a quadrupling of on-campus renewable energy generation, and new partnerships with K-12 schools and local healthcare providers. Dr. Bailey retired from the Air Force as a colonel and command pilot with over 3,500 flying hours. His military career included roles at the U.S. State Department, NATO, and the Air University, where he was a highly decorated educator and the institution’s first Dean of Students. He and his wife, Diana, are proud to be part of the Southern Oregon University community.