Andy Olson
Encyclopedia
Andy Olson is a Republican
politician from the U.S. state
of Oregon
. He serves in the Oregon House of Representatives
for District 15, representing parts of Linn
and Benton
counties, including the city of Albany
. Olson is currently serving as co-speaker pro tempore in the 76th Oregon Legislative Assembly
with Democrat
Tina Kotek
due to a power-sharing arrangement in the evenly-divided Oregon House.
. He earned an Associate of Arts in Law Enforcement from Chemeketa Community College
and a BA
in Human Resources Management from George Fox University
. In 1978, Olson became an Oregon State Police
Officer and was stationed all over the state, eventually serving as Lieutenant and Station Commander in Albany, McMinnville
, and Beaverton
. He retired from the state police in 2007. Olson continues to teach public safety with a focus on leadership and character at Linn–Benton Community College.
Oregon Republican Party
The Oregon Republican Party is the state affiliate of the United States Republican Party in Oregon, headquartered in Lake Oswego. The first state party convention was held in Salem on April 21, 1859, and its first nominee for Congress, Portland attorney David Logan...
politician from the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
. He serves in the Oregon House of Representatives
Oregon House of Representatives
The Oregon House of Representatives is the lower house of the Oregon Legislative Assembly. There are 60 members of the House, representing 60 districts across the state, each with a population of 57,000. The House meets at the Oregon State Capitol in Salem....
for District 15, representing parts of Linn
Linn County, Oregon
Linn County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is named in honor of Lewis F. Linn, a U.S. Senator from Missouri who advocated the American occupation of the Oregon Country. By the 2010 US census the population of Linn county was 116,672 showing a 13.2% growth since the 2000 census...
and Benton
Benton County, Oregon
-National protected areas:*Siuslaw National Forest *William L. Finley National Wildlife Refuge-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 78,153 people, 30,145 households, and 18,237 families residing in the county. The population density was 116 people per square mile . There were 31,980...
counties, including the city of Albany
Albany, Oregon
Albany is the eleventh largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon, and is the county seat of Linn County. It is located in the Willamette Valley at the confluence of the Calapooia River and the Willamette River in both Linn and Benton counties, just east of Corvallis and south of Salem. It is...
. Olson is currently serving as co-speaker pro tempore in the 76th Oregon Legislative Assembly
76th Oregon Legislative Assembly
The 76th Oregon Legislative Assembly convened beginning on , for its regular session. All of the 60 seats in the House of Representatives and 16 of the 30 seats in the State Senate were up for election in 2010; the general election for those seats took place on .In 2010, Oregon voters passed Ballot...
with Democrat
Democratic Party of Oregon
The Democratic Party of Oregon, based in Portland, is the official Oregon affiliate of the United States Democratic Party. It is recognized by the state of Oregon as a major political party, along with the Oregon Republican Party...
Tina Kotek
Tina Kotek
Tina Kotek is an American politician from the state of Oregon. A Democrat, she serves as a member of the Oregon House of Representatives...
due to a power-sharing arrangement in the evenly-divided Oregon House.
Early life and career
Olson was born in Norfolk, NebraskaNorfolk, Nebraska
Norfolk is a city in Madison County, Nebraska, United States, 113 miles northwest of Omaha and 83 miles west of Sioux City at the intersection of U.S. Routes 81 and 275. The population was 24,210 at the 2010 census, making it the ninth-largest city in Nebraska. It is the principal city of the...
. He earned an Associate of Arts in Law Enforcement from Chemeketa Community College
Chemeketa Community College
Chemeketa Community College is a community college located in Salem, Oregon, with smaller campuses in McMinnville, Dallas, Brooks, and Woodburn, and the Northwest Viticulture Center in Eola...
and a BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in Human Resources Management from George Fox University
George Fox University
George Fox University is a Christian university of the liberal arts and sciences, and professional studies located in Newberg, Oregon, United States. Founded as a school for Quakers in 1885, the private school has more than 3,400 students combined between its main campus in Newberg and its centers...
. In 1978, Olson became an Oregon State Police
Oregon State Police
The Oregon State Police is the main state law enforcement agency of the U.S. state of Oregon. They have been charged to enforce all of Oregon's criminal laws and to help local law enforcement agencies with their duties...
Officer and was stationed all over the state, eventually serving as Lieutenant and Station Commander in Albany, McMinnville
McMinnville, Oregon
McMinnville is the county seat and largest city of Yamhill County, Oregon, United States. According to Oregon Geographic Names, it was named by its founder, William T. Newby , an early immigrant on the Oregon Trail, for his hometown of McMinnville, Tennessee...
, and Beaverton
Beaverton, Oregon
Beaverton is a city in Washington County, Oregon, United States, seven miles west of Portland in the Tualatin River Valley.As of the 2010 census, the population is 90,267. This makes it the second-largest city in the county and Oregon's sixth-largest city...
. He retired from the state police in 2007. Olson continues to teach public safety with a focus on leadership and character at Linn–Benton Community College.