(Portland, OR) -- Oregon lawmakers are paying tribute to the late Avel Gordly, who was the first Black woman to serve in the Oregon Senate. Family members announced this week that Gordly has died at the age of 79. Senator Ron Wyden says Oregon "is a better place thanks to the path Gordly blazed for Black women and her unyielding focus on mental health, civil rights and more." Oregon Senate Republican Leader Bruce Starr called Gordly a legend and called himself lucky to have served alongside her. Gordly served in the Oregon House and Senate from 1991 to 2009 and led initiatives to increase cultural competency in education, mental health and the administration of justice. After graduating from Portland State University in 1974 with a degree in administration of justice she became the first woman to serve as a parole officer for the state.