The Associated General Contractors‘ Oregon-Columbia chapter has named Josh Tompkins as chief executive officer, the organization announced last week. He will begin work by the end of this month.

Tompkins succeeds Mike Salsgiver, who will work with Tompkins during a transition period through the remainder of the year. Salsgiver will retire in January 2027 after 19 years of leading the chapter.

“Mike’s someone I’ve always viewed as a professional mentor,” Tompkins said, noting that he will take advantage of the overlap period to make sure he has all the tools he needs to be successful.

“Josh brings a strong understanding of the intersection between business and public policy, as well as a demonstrated commitment to our industry,” Brandon Flint, president of the chapter’s board of directors, stated in a press release. “T��� board is confident that he will provide steady leadership and build on the chapter’s long-standing work on behalf of our members.”

Tompkins is well-known within the association and has attended a lot of its events, Flint said.

“One of the key factors (in selecting) him was he understands Oregon landscape and can navigate Oregonians,” he said.

Tompkins has experience in business, public policy and regional economic affairs, along with a long-standing connection to AGC’s Oregon-Columbia chapter. Since December, he has served as president/CEO of the Washington County Chamber of Commerce. Past roles include business and talent development manager at Dick’s Auto Group and president of Associated Builders and Contractors‘ Central Texas chapter.

Dick’s Auto Group has been a member of AGC’s Oregon-Columbia chapter since 2017, Tompkins said. The relationship has involved community outreach and sales of vehicles to contractors.

He was also a board member and chair of the AGC chapter’s Professional and Industry Associates Council and vice chair of its Workforce and Professional Development Committee. Tompkins said he has about eight years of experience working with the organization that has provided him with a lot of insight into the CEO role.

“T��� AGC Oregon-Columbia chapter is a very high-performing organization,” Tompkins said, adding that one of his goals as CEO is to maintain that standing.

Other goals, he said, are to ensure members continue to have great experiences as well as dig into workforce development and apprenticeships.

“This is an opportunity I’ve looked at for years as a big career goal,” he said.

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After serving more than 18 years as the chief executive officer of the Associated General Contractors‘ Oregon-Columbia chapter, Mike Salsgiver is preparing to retire next January. But he has already begun taking on a new challenge.

Common Sense Institute (CSI), a nonpartisan research organization, announced last week that Salsgiver will serve as its executive director, bringing more than four decades of leadership experience in public policy, economic development, and government affairs to the organization.

Salsgiver has led AGC’s Oregon-Columbia chapter since 2008. Prior to taking that role, he worked in government affairs, public affairs, and economic development. He served the Oregon Department of Economic and Community Development, Intel in Oregon, and U.S. Senator Mark Hatfield.

Though Salsgiver announced his retirement from AGC in January 2025, he is under contract through January 2027.

On Monday, the AGC chapter announced the selection of Josh Tompkins as its next CEO. Tompkins is expected to join the organization in May and then work with Salsgiver during a structured transition period through the remainder of the year.

“My time at AGC has been very gratifying,” Salsgiver said. “Almost 20 years is a long time in a role like this, and I feel very good about the association handing off to my successor.”

Brandon Flint, president of the Oregon-Columbia chapter’s board of directors, said the group is sad to see Salsgiver go and that he has always been a steadfast leader for the construction industry in Oregon.

“He will be dearly missed,” Flint said. “He is a hard person to replace.”

Flint added that his longtime friend has clearly impacted the construction industry.

“You talk construction in Oregon, Mike’s in there somewhere,” he said.

The AGC chapter’s board believes it has found the right person to fill the executive director role and is looking forward to the next generation of leadership, Flint said.

CSI asked Salsgiver whether he would be interested in doing some work for the organization when he retires from AGC, he said. CSI is dedicated to advancing economic opportunity and prosperity through data-driven analysis. He said that AGC has been supporting CSI for a couple of years.

“We’re trying to grow their footprint and establish them more firmly in the Pacific Northwest,” he said.

In his new role, Salsgiver will lead CSI’s efforts to expand its impact through rigorous, data-driven research and analysis, helping inform policymakers, business leaders, and the public on the economic issues shaping Oregon’s future. His background in economic strategy, regulatory policy, and industry leadership positions him to further advance CSI’s mission of promoting economic vitality and free enterprise statewide, the CSI press release states.

Salsgiver will contract work with CSI under his new consultant company Forward Strategies.

“Mike brings a rare combination of public policy expertise, private sector leadership, and deep knowledge of Oregon’s economic landscape,” Cinamon Watson, CEO of Common Sense Institute, stated in the press release. “His experience working across industries and at every level of government will strengthen CSI’s ability to deliver high-quality research and expand our impact in Oregon. We are very excited to have him on board.”

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