State Senator Aaron WoodsAn army veteran and longtime technology director who was elected in power in 2022, died on Saturday at 75.
Woods, a Democrat from Wilsonville who was known in the Capitol for his silent behavior and his in -depth knowledge of complicated technological problems, died due to complications from cancer, OPB reported on Monday.
“He was a pioneer in everything he has done, still looking towards the future and investing in the opportunity for others,” said the head of the majority of the Senate, Kayse Jama, D-Portland, in a press release.
Woods is from Chicago, where he grew up and attended a high school focused on technology, according to his legislative biography. He served in the American army for six years before moving to Oregon, where he worked as senior manager for Tektronix from 1996 to 1999.
Woods has joined the work equipment company, Xerox as a project manager in 2000 and spent the next 19 years of his career supervising the main initiatives to stimulate sales and extend business suppliers while climbing the company’s scale. He retired from the company in 2019 as the Senior Director in the Division of the company focused on the management of company partnership suppliers in the United States.
“Aaron often said that growing up on the southern side of Chicago, he did not expect to be an elected official. But for me, he was correct,” Governor Tina Kotek said in a statement. “His life was defined by care and service to his country, his community and his family.”
During his stay in Xerox, Woods also obtained his MBA at Marylhurst University, and he was a member of the board of directors of the Association of the IT technology industry of the Professional Association between 2013 and 2016. He was also a long -standing member of the Digitunity Board of Directors, a non -profit organization that collects computers given and helps people with access to technology.
Woods committed civically in 2013 when he started to sit at Wilsonville Development and Review Board. He sat on the board of directors for five years and then sat on the city’s planning committee for two years before presenting himself and winning elections in the State Senate in 2022.
In the Senate, Woods quickly emerged as a political expert on issues related to artificial intelligence and other technologies. He was co -chair of the mixed information committee on information management and technology and has sat on the advisory council of the state electronic government portal.
He also sat on Senate veterans, emergency management, the Federal Committee and World Affairs, among others.
“Above all, Aaron Woods was reflected,” said the Senate republican chief Daniel Bonham, R-The Dalles, in a statement. “In a building that too often highlights the division, he stood out as someone who led compassionate, listened with humility and treated everyone with respect.”
Woods was active in the Legislative Assembly until the last days of his life. He has left his management positions of his committee in recent weeks and voted the last vote on March 20 before getting out of it for medical treatment.
Local Democratic Party leaders will appoint up to five people to fill the vacant seat of Woods. The Comtés of the County County of Clackamas, Washington and Yamhill, the three counties located in the district, will make the final selection.
“He did so much, and I really appreciated his leadership with the changing AI world,” said Senator Mark Meek, a Gladstone Democrat. “He was the forerunner of our legislature to really understand the importance and also understand the dangers he poses.”
“He didn’t speak often, but when he did, it was on the point and very intelligible and very poignant,” added Meek.
Woods is survived by five adult children.
– Carlos Fuentes covers the state policy and government. Reach it at 503-221-5386 or cfuentes@oregonian.com.
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