Lane County has officially hired a new county clerk, Tommy Gong, a long-time elections official from California.
Gong is a member of multiple election boards and groups, and says he’s hoping to take lessons he’s learned from his more than 20-year career to Lane County.
He said he’s been impressed with Oregon, and local election workers, and is hoping to share their best practices with other communities.
“Oregon can be a highlight for other states to see what we're doing, and why it's working in Oregon,” Gong said. “It's something I'm really enthused about, and I'm really excited about being in this position at this time."
Gong was selected after a national search and succeeded former Clerk Dena Dawson, who left in December to become the elections director for the Oregon Secretary of State's office.
Gong, who formally joined the county as its new clerk last month, says he’s hoping to educate the public while increasing morale and the feeling of safety in the office.
"We want to put a face to our process so that people know, "hey, we're members of the community who are actually performing this vital function for the county, and for our voters,"' Gong said.
Lane County election workers, along with election officials across the country, have faced increased threats and harassment. In 2023, Lane was one of several offices targeted with a suspicious piece of mail.
Gong said he’s hoping to explore potential modernizations for the clerk's office as well as public outreach and education programs.
In his role as County Clerk, Gong will also oversee vital legal functions, like recording marriages and domestic partnerships as well as deeds.
Gong received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of California at Berkeley, has an MBA from San Francisco State University and holds several election administration certificates.
Outside of elections, Gong is a practicing and teaching martial artist. He is an author of a book about Bruce Lee, has served on the Bruce Lee Foundation and was taught by one of Bruce Lee’s students.
