Oregon names former Biden chief of staff as state’s first AI and privacy strategist

Terrence Woods, Oregon’s chief information officer and director of the state’s IT shop, has appointed Nik Blosser, a former Biden White House chief of staff, to serve in a dual role as the state’s first chief privacy officer and artificial intelligence strategist.

In the role, Blosser will be charged with crafting the state’s strategy for privacy, data protection and AI, according to an announcement shared Tuesday by the state’s Administration Department. In the first-its-a-kind position in Oregon state government, Blosser will play a pivotal role shaping privacy and AI policies.

Blosser has spent the past 22 years at Sokol Blosser Winery, which sits just south of Portland, where he most recently served as a chair and board member.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Blosser served in several roles in the White House under Joe Biden, including as chief of staff of Cabinet affairs, special assistant to the president and deputy Cabinet secretary. He also served as chief of staff for former Oregon Gov. Kate Brown.

Blosser co-founded Celilo Group Media, a sustainability company, and has been involved in numerous volunteer roles, including board memberships with Literary Arts, Oregon Business & Industry and the Oregon Environmental Council.

“Adding a Chief Privacy Officer and AI Strategist to the team at EIS has been a goal of mine for a few years and I am excited to bring Nik onboard,” Woods said in the announcement. “Nik will significantly enhance our ability to safeguard data, ensure compliance with privacy regulations, prioritize workforce AI literacy, and lead efforts to promote a culture of awareness across all state agencies, ultimately making Oregon a leader in data protection, privacy management, and AI Governance.”