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Department of Consumer and Business Services gets a new director

Andrew Stolfi. (Courtesy/Governor’s office)

Oregon’s largest business regulatory and consumer protection department has a new head.

Gov. Kate Brown has appointed Andrew Stolfi to serve as the director of the Department of Consumer and Business Services.

“I believe strongly in our mission of consumer protection,” said Stolfi in a statement. “I am excited to be part of a team where we have the opportunity, each day, to directly benefit the people we serve.”

Stolfi will keep his current role as insurance commissioner.

The department is responsible for multiple government agencies charged with protecting workers and ensuring businesses play by the rules. They include the Building Codes Division, Division of Financial Regulation, the Oregon Health Insurance Marketplace, Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Ombudsman for Injured Workers, Small Business Ombudsman, Workers’ Compensation Division, Workers’ Compensation Board, as well as the Central Services Division.

In a statement, Brown credited Stolfi for his role in negotiating an agreement with insurers to waive cost-sharing for patients who need COVID-19 testing.

“He understands the importance of supporting both Oregon’s consumer needs and our business environment during these unprecedented times,” she said in the statement.

Two of the agencies that Stolfi will be overseeing have been in the news recently. The west Salem office of the Building Codes Division recently closed after employees tested positive for COVID-19. Oregon OSHA has seen an influx of worker complaints alleging employers aren’t following orders meant to prevent the spread of the virus.

According to a press statement, Stolfi’s first day as director is Monday, April 6, and he will be subject to Senate confirmation. Stolfi replaces Lou Savage, who served as acting director since November when Cameron Smith stepped down as director to run for secretary of state. Savage will become the acting administrator for the Division of Financial Regulation.