Judy Hall worked for the Oregon State Senate for more than 30 years, serving 16 years as Secretary of the Senate, the elected chief administrative officer and parliamentarian. She saw it as a great honor to work in the Capitol, and it felt like a family tradition because her grandfather had worked in the Capitol as a civil engineer from 1922 to 1935.
Judy’s family settled in Salem in the early 1900s. Her mother was born in Salem and the two generations lived next door to each other. One of her mother’s favorite stories to tell was when the Capitol burned in 1935. They could see the fire and smoke from their homes on Front Street! When the families tried to walk closer, they could only get within three blocks because of the heavy, thick smoke. The loss was devastating.
When Judy retired, it was a natural transition to serve on the Foundation because of her interest in preserving the history of the Capitol and promoting civic engagement. After serving over 20 years on the YMCA Youth & Government committee, she wanted to see programs such as this expanded.
She has a BA in Management of Human Resources from George Fox University and is a graduate of the Legislative Staff Management Institute, Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota. Judy has held leadership positions in the National Conference of State Legislatures, American Society of Legislative Clerks and Secretaries and Council of State Governments.