Oregon Gov. Kate Brown’s chief of staff Nik Blosser quits to join President-elect Joe Biden’s team

Nik Blosser, the respected chief of staff for Gov. Kate Brown, is quitting to join President-elect Joe Biden’s transition team.

Blosser, who has served as Brown’s chief of staff since 2017, will be the state lead in the intergovernmental affairs office of the Biden-Kamala Harris transition.

It’s unclear whether Blosser will rejoin Brown’s team after Biden takes office. Brown announced on Thursday afternoon that Deputy Chief of Staff Gina Zejdlik will replace Blosser.

“Nik has been on the ground and focused on the pandemic response from the start of this crisis, giving him a unique understanding of the needs of Americans suffering from COVID-19 and the needs of the communities they live in,” Brown said. “I am heartened that President-elect Biden, Vice President-elect Harris and their transition team have selected Nik for this important role.”

Blosser won high marks for his way with people and for being cool under fire. He also has proven durable in a job that can be all-consuming.

“Nik has been a thoughtful, engaged and focused presence in the governor’s office in a job that is both grueling and unforgiving,” said Curtis Robinhold, director of the Port of Portland and, before that, chief of staff for then-Gov. John Kitzhaber. “He has focused on outreach to affected communities, and on tackling some of the state’s most complex challenges like PERS and wildfire prevention.”

Blosser is a board member at Sokol Blosser, one of the state’s best known wine labels. Before joining Brown’s team, he helped run the Celilo Group, a media company he co-founded. Blosser also co-founded the Oregon Business Association, which boosters strived to position as a more progressive version of rival business groups.

Blosser is married to Deborah Kafoury, chair of the Multnomah County Board of County Commissioners.