Contact a City Councilor

The Mayor and City Council are elected by residents to develop and decide on policies that affect the City government and the city. All Council members are unpaid volunteers who give their time to serve their community.

Each councilor represents a city ward, which is a district of the city used for political purposes. If you do not know which ward you live in, use the interactive ward map to find out. You may want to contact your representative on City Council if you have:

Questions about topics discussed at a recent City Council meeting
Topics of importance to the City that you would like to bring to the attention of your City Councilor

Ward 1

Virginia Stapleton

City Councilor for Ward 1, Council President
Term expires December 31, 2024

Email: vstapleton@cityofsalem.net
Phone: 503-399-7801

Councilor Virginia Stapleton is a life-long resident of Salem. With her husband and two kids, she resides in northeast Salem and enjoys the walkability of their beautiful neighborhood. She is passionate about addressing the climate crisis and meeting the needs of the most vulnerable in our community, creating equity in transportation to parks and library services, revitalizing our downtown, and creating thriving neighborhoods. Councilor Stapleton was elected to the City Council in May 2020.

Committees

Board & Commission Appointments
Mid-Willamette ValleyCable Regulatory Commission, Chair
Council Rules Committee, Chair
Legislative Committee
Manager's Performance Review Committee
Mid-Willamette Area Commission on Transportation (alternate)
Salem/Keizer Area Transportation Study Policy Committee (SKATS) (alternate)
Water/Wastewater Task Force
Climate Action Plan Subcommittee
Bond Steering Committee
Downtown Advisory Committee

Ward 2

Linda Nishioka

City Councilor for Ward 2
Term expires December 31, 2026

Email: lnishioka@cityofsalem.net
Phone: 503-399-7802

Councilor Linda Nishioka, a long-term resident of Oregon, moved to southeast Salem in 1998 with her husband and son. She retired after 22 years as Department Director for Willamette Ear, Nose, & Throat and 29 years in dentistry. Linda served on the City of Salem’s Downtown Advisory Board as Vice-Chair, working with the Salem Historic Preservation Plan, the Riverfront Park Plan, and the Streetscape Committees. She has served on several nonprofit organizations. Councilor Nishioka’s priority for Salem is livability, a welcoming and safe city for all, including the continued work on homelessness, housing, public safety, responsible development, parks, trees, greenspace, public art, and multiple modes of transit, and a thriving downtown. Councilor Nishioka was elected to the City Council in May 2022.

Committees

Board & Commission Appointments Committee
Finance Committee (alternate)
Hospital Facility Authority Board
Legislative Committee (alternate)
Bond Steering Committee (alternate)
Public Works Operations Building Council Oversight Committee
Airport Advisory Commission
Downtown Advisory Board

Ward 3

Trevor Phillips

City Councilor for Ward 3
Term expires December 31, 2024

Email: tphillips@cityofsalem.net
Phone: 503-399-7803

Councilor Trevor Phillips is a husband, father, and Board-Certified Emergency Room Physician at Salem Hospital. He is a long-time resident of southeast Salem, former Board Member of the Morningside Neighborhood Association, and served on the Salem Downtown Homeless Solutions Task Force in 2018. Councilor Phillips was elected to the City Council in May 2020.

Committees

Council Rules Committee
Legislative Committee
Mid-Willamette Area Commission on Transportation (MWACT)
Salem/Keizer Area Transportation Study Policy (SKATS)
Water/Wastewater Task Force, Chair
Climate Action Plan (CAP)

Ward 4

Deanna Gwyn

City Councilor for Ward 4
Term expires December 31, 2026

Email: dgwyn@cityofsalem.net
Phone: 503-399-7804

Raised in a military family, Councilor Deanna Gywn’s childhood was spent in many parts of the country until her family settled in Salem when she was in first grade. A graduate of McKay High School, Deanna and her husband raised their family in Salem. Her hobbies include photography, traveling and spending time with family. She is passionate about responding to homelessness, improving public safety, and reducing barriers to housing affordability. Councilor Gwyn was elected to the City Council in November 2022.

Committees

Council of Governments (MWVCOG) (alternate)
Council Rules Committee
Finance Committee
SEDCOR (alternate)
Mid-Willamette Homeless Alliance (alternate)
Climate Action Plan Subcommittee
Public Works Operations Building Council Oversight Committee

Ward 5

Jose Gonzalez

City Councilor for Ward 5
Term expires December 31, 2024

Email: jgonzalez@cityofsalem.net
Phone: 503-399-7905

A native Oregonian, Councilor Jose Gonzalez is a married father of four, and son of Mexican immigrants.  Currently President of Tu Casa Real Estate, Jose owns La Familia Cider with his family.  As a boy, he was a farmworker until he was 12 years old and worked in canneries until he was 15. Jose assisted his father at St Joseph's homeless farmworker shelter in Mt. Angel. His passion is helping people support themselves through self-employment, which led to him co-founding the Latino Business Alliance (2009). Through that work, Councilor Gonzalez was invited to the White House for his advocacy for immigrant entrepreneurs.  Councilor Gonzalez was elected to the Council in May of 2020.

Committees

Board & Commission Appointments (alternate)
Finance Committee, Chair
Legislative Committee
Manager's Performance Review
Travel Salem Board and Executive Committee (alternate)
Climate Action Plan

Ward 6

Julie Hoy

City Councilor for Ward 6
Term expires December 31, 2026

Email: j hoy@cityofsalem.net
Phone: 503-399-7806

Councilor Julie Hoy was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest. She has lived in the same northeast Salem neighborhood for more than thirty years.  Julie has worked as a musician, composer, and performer most of her life. She has volunteered in schools for more than twenty-five years and served non-profits since 2001, working to break the cycle of poverty for some in Oaxaca and Chiapas. In 2017, Julie and her husband purchased a small family restaurant in Salem. While incredibly rewarding, this business journey has also been challenging, navigating government requirements while trying to keep her staff employed and her customers satisfied.  Julie believes our community is best served when everyone gets involved. She was elected to Council in May of 2022.

Committees

Community Business and Education Leaders Collaborative (CBEL)
Travel Salem Board and Executive Committee
Water/Wastewater Task Force (alternate)

Ward 7

Vanessa Nordyke

City Councilor for Ward 7
Term expires December 31, 2024

Email: vnordyke@cityofsalem.net
Phone: 503-399-7907

Born and raised in south Salem, Councilor Vanessa Nordyke is the Executive Director of CASA of Marion County, which advocates for abused and neglected children in foster care. Vanessa joined CASA in January 2023, after 15 years as an Assistant Attorney General at the Oregon Department of Justice. As city councilor, Vanessa focuses on affordable housing, addressing homelessness, and providing opportunities to uplift domestic violence survivors, at-risk youth, low-income seniors and other vulnerable Salem residents. Vanessa is a graduate of Georgetown University School of Foreign Service and University of Oregon School of Law. In her spare time, you can find Vanessa and her family at Minto Brown Island Park.  Councilor Nordyke was appointed to the City Council in November 2019 and elected to the Council in May 2020.

Committees

Board & Commission Appointments
Council Rules Committee (alternate)
Finance Committee
Legislative Committee
Manager's Performance Review Committee
Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency

Ward 8

Micki Varney

City Councilor for Ward 8
Term expires December 31, 2026

Email: mvarney@cityofsalem.net
Phone: 503-399-7808

Councilor Micki Varney is salmon biologist with Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, and a former high school science and math teacher.  Prior to serving as Salem City Councilor, she served on the Salem Parks and Recreation Advisory Board for four years.  She has been actively involved in her west Salem community and has served multiple terms in leadership roles in the West Salem Neighborhood Association (WSNA). As the Parks Committee Chair for WSNA, she secured grants for major park improvement projects in three of west Salem’s parks and she has planted trees, pulled ivy, and built trails in many of our parks throughout Salem. Councilor Varney was appointed to the City Council in March 2022 and elected to the Council in May 2022.

Committees

Mid-Willamette Valley Cable Regulatory Commission
Finance Committee
Water/Wastewater Task Force
Bond Steering Committee
Parks & Rec Advisory