By Steve Elzinga

Elzinga is governmental and legal affairs director for the Oregon Secretary of State.

Secretary of State Dennis Richardson was an authentic statesman who restored my faith in public service. As part of his leadership team, I worked closely with him for the past two years. I learned much from both his exemplary life and his tragic death.

In the pursuit of excellence, Dennis taught me to aim high. When I first started working for him, he asked me what I thought of an idea. I cynically told him it wouldn’t happen. He respectfully pointed out that I had the wrong mindset. We need to think about what it would take to accomplish a particular goal, not all the reasons it was difficult. He advised me to keep a “Yes, if” not a “No, because” perspective.

Focusing on nonpartisan public service empowered Dennis to stand up for the vulnerable and challenge the status quo. Having adopted a child from foster care himself, he prioritized auditing the dysfunction in Oregon’s foster care system that was harming children, parents, and caseworkers. He called out systemic and heartbreaking discrimination in Portland Public Schools, even though powerful political figures wanted him to back down.

Dennis frequently shot for the moon and encouraged his team to do the same. He achieved many stunning successes, making the Secretary of State’s office a model for financial transparency, IT management, efficient purchasing, customer service, and more. It’s true that he occasionally stumbled, but he never stopped aiming high—even during his cancer treatment. We can all learn from his unshakably optimistic “Yes, if” mentality.

It was a very rare day if I arrived at work before Dennis or left after him. His motto was “Pro tanto quid retribuamus,” which means: “Having been given much, what will you give in return?” He took the calling to public service very seriously.

Even during his cancer struggle, he continued to perform his duties long after others recommended that he scale back to focus on his health. He believed that our work was worth the sacrifice.

Valuing people was core to Dennis’ service. He intentionally built relationships with staff by hosting monthly birthday parties, barbeques, and a ping pong tournament. He spent time in communities that other politicians avoid.

One day he gave me an email from someone who needed assistance. It was outside our normal work, but a call from our office might make a difference. We can’t aid everyone, but that shouldn’t stop us from trying to help whoever we can, he said.

This is authentic leadership. Dennis embodied public service that prioritizes people above politics and the vulnerable above the elite. He recognized his own limitations and would occasionally make self-deprecating jokes about being an “old white guy from Southern Oregon,” but to this suburban millennial, he shattered stereotypes by following his compassionate heart and dedication to serving all Oregonians. This is what Dennis taught me, and I am proud he was my mentor and friend.