Ben Eckstein
Elected president by a solid majority, ASUO President Ben Eckstein was vague in his plans for the year when he presented his Fulfillment of Duties Statement in June.
“If we can predict anything about the coming year based on our previous experiences, it is that we cannot really predict much at all,” Eckstein said. “Despite our best efforts, we know that the carefully detailed plans we craft this summer will change throughout the year as we adapt to evolving challenges and opportunities.”
Eckstein most recently served as chief of staff to former ASUO President Amelie Rousseau. He has also previously served as legislative affairs coordinator and as a member of the Athletics and Contracts Finance Committee.
Katie Taylor
ASUO Vice President Katie Taylor is a newcomer to elected office, but not to the ASUO in general. As the former state board treasurer for Oregon Student Public Interest Research Group, she was instrumental in the effort to refund the group after three years off the ACFC’s budget rolls. Taylor resigned her position as OSPIRG state treasurer upon her election.
Kaitlyn Lange
Last year’s EMU Board Chair, Lange was often the face of opposition to Rousseau’s agenda last year. Lange returns to the Senate on the second year of a two-year seat. Lange ran for vice president on the “Students United” slate in last year’s elections. She has already come into conflict with the new executive over plans to renovate the EMU — the proposal Lange shepherded through the EMU Board was opposed by Eckstein before the State Board of Higher Education in early June.
Briana Woodside-Gomez
As chair of the ACFC, Woodside-Gomez presided over a committee which hosted the most contentious issues of last year — the debate over funding OSPIRG. Adding to the drama of the issue was Woodside-Gomez’s transition from supporter to outspoken opponent and her sometimes-harsh words for the group’s supporters. She and Andrew Quinlan are the only holdovers from that committee, which has been refilled with members of the Ben and Katie slate.
Other notable personalities:
Jeremy Hedlund, the former OSPIRG campaign coordinator who was prominent in the group’s campaign for refunding, was elected to Senate Seat 6 (EMU Board).
Ben Bowman, the campaign manager for the Ben and Katie Slate who accused ACFC members of impropriety during the OSPIRG hearings last year, will sit on that body this year, as he was elected to Senate Seat 8.
Colleen Soles, finance coordinator under Rousseau, returns to the executive staff as events coordinator after running for Senate on the Students United slate.
Sophie Luthin, former OSPIRG campaign coordinator, has been designated environmental advocate by Eckstein.