Extern will bolster OSBA advocacy efforts

Jennifer Davis Salazar, OSBA's new government relations extern, adopted Gracie from Hopes Haven, a dog rescue center in Salem.

The OSBA Government Relations and Communications team will have a legislative extern this session.

Jennifer Davis Salazar, a third-year law school student at Willamette University, will be shadowing OSBA lobbyists to learn about legislative advocacy. Her duties will include helping to track and analyze more than 500 bills, coordinating partner meetings and monitoring committee hearings among other things. Her first day is Wednesday, Jan. 15.

Salazar worked with vulnerable children and families for the Oregon Department of Human Services for more than 20 years before starting law school. She said she went back to school because she wanted to develop a legal toolkit for policy work and more effective advocacy.

Salazar is a product of the Eugene School District, and her daughter graduated from Salem-Keizer Public Schools. Salazar said her daughter received a great education that put her on a path to an interesting career.

"I come from a community of people who value and believe in public education," Salazar said. "I'm excited at the possibility of learning form OSBA's team and working with legislators and OSBA's partners to promote good public policy."

Adrienne Anderson, OSBA legislative specialist, said Salazar would raise the team's effectiveness.

"Between her legal studies and her previous career, Jennifer brings a wealth of experience deeply relevant to OSBA's mission," Anderson said. "I appreciate her passion for good education policy."