U.S. Rep. Greg Walden named Willamette Law alumnus Ray Baum JD’83 staff director of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Rep. Walden is the chairman of the committee, which has broad jurisdiction over health care, energy and telecommunications policy.
“Ray Baum is a gifted policy leader and a true pro who will bring nearly three decades of policy experience to the committee’s top staff role,” Walden said in a press release. “As a long-time energy and commerce staffer, state regulatory board chairman and Oregon House majority leader, Ray has put into place common-sense policies to help consumers and grow jobs in America.”
In 1988, Walden and Baum served in the Oregon House of Representatives together. Baum spent eight years in the Legislature, serving the last two as House Majority Leader. He has been on the staff of the Energy and Commerce Committee since 2011 and was previously its senior policy advisor and chief strategist on state initiatives, cyber security, telecommunications and technology.
“We’re fortunate to have him on our team,” Walden said.
Baum received his bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University in 1980 and his JD from Willamette in 1983.
About Willamette University College of Law
Opened in 1883, Willamette University College of Law is the first law school in the Pacific Northwest. The college has a long tradition at the forefront of legal education and is committed to the advancement of knowledge through excellent teaching, scholarship and mentorship. Leading faculty, thriving externship and clinical law programs, ample practical skills courses and a proactive career placement office prepare Willamette law students for today's legal job market. According to statistics compiled by the American Bar Association, Willamette ranks first in the Pacific Northwest for job placement for full-time, long-term, JD-preferred/JD-required jobs for the class of 2014 and first in Oregon for the classes of 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015. Located across the street from the state capitol complex and the Oregon Supreme Court, the college specializes in law and government, law and business, and dispute resolution.