Salem, Ore. – After a four-month recruitment and candidate screening process, the Salem City Council has selected three candidates for consideration as Salem’s next City Manager.
On Wednesday, June 15, at 6:30 p.m., candidates will be available to answer questions from community members and City staff.
The candidates include:
• Taylor Adams, currently Deputy City Manager for the City of Virginia Beach, Virginia;
• Keith Stahley, currently Assistant City Manager for the City of Olympia, Washington; and
• Eric Zimmerman, most recently served in the US Embassy in Bangladesh and was previously Deputy City Manager for the City of Medford, Oregon.
Throughout the day-long interview process, there will be opportunities for the Mayor and City Council members, the City’s Executive Leadership Team, and labor leadership to interact with candidates by way of virtual interviews and socially distanced panel discussions.
Virtual Community Forum: Ask Candidates a Question
Beginning at 6:30 p.m. on June 15, 2022, the virtual community forum will be aired on CC:Media Channel 21, and live-streamed to YouTube, with simultaneous translation to Spanish and American Sign Language. Community forum participants will have an opportunity to evaluate the candidates’ strengths immediately following the interview panel.
If you would like to ask a question of the candidates, please submit your question no later than 5 p.m., Tuesday, June 14. You will be asked to share your first name and neighborhood or ward. Please note, that program time may not allow for all questions to be asked.
About the Candidates
Taylor Adams
Taylor Adams has served as the Deputy City Manager for the City of Virginia Beach, Virginia, since 2015. Prior to his time in Virginia, Taylor was the Chief Administrative Officer for the City of Starkville, Mississippi, for three years. Taylor received his Master of Business Administration degree from Hult International Business School and his Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing degree from Mississippi State University.
Keith Stahley
Keith Stahley has served as the Assistant City Manager for the City of Olympia, Washington, since 2019. Prior to serving as the Assistant City Manager, Keith served as Olympia’s Community Planning And Development Director for 14 years. Keith received his Master of Public Administration degree from Florida Atlantic University, his Bachelor of Landscape Architecture degree from Syracuse University, and is an International City/County Management Association Credentialed Manager (ICMA-CM).
Eric Zimmerman
Eric Zimmerman was most recently the Oregon Bilateral Affairs Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Dhaka, Bangladesh, from 2021 to 2022. Eric began his local government leadership career in 2007 with Multnomah County, Oregon, first in the Division of Assessment, Recording, and Taxation and then as a Chief of Staff to a Commissioner. He then progressed to the Assistant City Manager of Tigard, Oregon, and the Deputy City Manager of Medford, Oregon, from 2017 to 2021. He has served in the Oregon Army National Guard since 2007 and was deployed to Iraq, Kosovo, and Dhaka, Bangladesh, and is currently assigned to an Army National Guard unit in Salem, Oregon. Eric received his Executive Master of Business Administration in Non-Profit Management degree and his Bachelor of Science in Organizational Communications degree from the University of Portland.
About the Salem City Manager Position
The City Manager is appointed by the City Council and serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the City working under the policy direction and goals of the City Council. The City Manager prepares the annual recommended budget for consideration and provides Council with information on future operational needs, policy matters, and regulatory requirements.
The City Manager directs the day-to-day administration of the City through Department Directors, who manage City government operations based on City Council direction, state and federal law, and City ordinances. The Manager pursues intergovernmental relations and partnerships and promotes and sustains community relationships. Additionally, the City Manager facilitates public outreach and effective communications.
In Salem, the City Manager is the Chief Executive Officer of three separate municipal corporations – the City of Salem, the Salem Urban Renewal Agency, and Salem Housing Authority. The lines of business are as varied as the needs of the community. The members of the City Council serve as the governing bodies for each of these corporations. The City Manager reports to the boards and is their only employee.
About the Recruitment Process
On February 22, 2022, Salem’s City Council formally launched the City Manager recruitment by approving the recruitment process, candidate profile, and salary range. Raftelis, the executive search firm assisting he City Council with the recruitment, conducted initial screening interviews and extensive background research. Following the June 15 day-long interview process and virtual community forum, members of the City Council may conduct a site visit of the candidates’ communities prior to making a selection.
