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• Marion County Commissioner Candidate Forum

  • When
    23 Apr 2026
  •  
    12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
  • Location
    Willamette Heritage Center, Dye House, 1313 Mill St Salem Oregon, 97301

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  Salem City Club Members, on both sides of the Willamette River in two different counties, have over the last decade increased their interest in the County Commissioner races with the discovery of the wide array of programs under the purview of county government including local health departments, sheriff's offices and road maintenance.

  
  

  SCC Members heard about Polk County in our January program so we now turn to Marion County.  Marion and Polk are different in that Marion has a partisan primary and Polk races are nonpartisan.  A Democrat hasn't won election to the Marion County Board since 1979.

  
  

  Speaking April 23 is Republican incumbent for position 1 Kevin Cameron and his Democratic challenger Sara Duncan.  Democrat Maria Hinojos Pressey will discuss why she should be elected for position 2.  Currently holding that position is Colm Willis, who will not appear on the program.

  
  

  The third commissioner position is held by Danielle Bethell, whose term runs through 2028.  Currently, she is running for the Republican nomination for governor.

  
  

  Commissioner Cameron was appointed to the position in 2014.  Before that, he served as a state representative from 2004 to 2014.  He is a director of operations for VIP's Industries and co-founder of Cafe Today.

  
  

  Duncan is a digital communications organizer for PCUN, the Woodburn-based farmworkers union and has served on the Cherriots Board since 2021.

  
  

  Hinojos Pressey, who is deputy director for farmworker union PCUN, also serves on the Cherriots Board.  She was the first Latina elected as its president.  She also served on the Salem-Keizer Public Schools board from 2021-2025.

  
  

  Event Details:

  Doors open at 11:30

  Program starts at 12:00

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• Navigating and Responding to a Changing Ocean

  • When
    07 May 2026
  •  
    12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
  • Location
    Willamette Heritage Center, Dye House, 1313 Mill St Salem Oregon, 97301

  Register

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  The ocean covers 70% of planet Earth and is an important driver of global climate.  The ocean itself is also changing as greenhouse gases from human activities continue to increase.  Some of these ocean changes, such as absorbing excess heat and CO2, have helped moderate how rapidly the climate is changing, but this beneficial ocean capacity is limited.  How is the ocean changing off the Oregon coast?  What are the consequences for marine life and Oregonians?  How can Oregon respond and adapt?

  
  

  Helping Oregonians understand, respond, and adapt to ocean change is an important part of Oregon's Sea Grant's work.  Oregon Sea Grant is a federally funded, statewide program based at Oregon State University and part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Sea Grant College Program-a national network of 34 local Sea Grant programs established by Congress in 1966.  For over 50 years, Oregon Sea Grant has connected communities, businesses and policymakers with science to promote environmental stewardship, economic development, and resilient communities of Oregon's coastal zone and nearshore ocean.

  
  

  Our speakers, Dr. Karina Nielsen and Jessi Kershner, leaders of the Oregon Sea Grant program, will introduce us to how the ocean is changing globally and here at home, off the Oregon coast.  They will also discuss some of the ways the program is helping Oregonians and policymakers respond and adapt to ocean change and share opportunities for civic engagement.

  
  

  Speakers

  
  

  Karina Nielsen is director of Oregon Sea Grant and a professor of Practice at Oregon State University.  Karina trained as a marine ecologist with decades of research experience and numerous peer-reviewed publications on the ecology, oceanography, and stewardship of coastal and nearshore ecosystems.  As Director of the Oregon Sea Grant program, she connects communities, businesses and policymakers with the relevant science to promote economic development, environmental stewardship and community resilience of Oregon's coastal zone.  Dr. Nielsen earned her Ph.D. in zoology from OSU and a B.S. in biology from Brooklyn College, City University of New York.  She is a member of Oregon's Ocean Policy Advisory Council and Ocean Acidification and Hypoxia Coordinating Council, serves on the boards of Oregon Science Trust and the California Ocean Science Trust, and is a fellow of the California Academy of Sciences.

  
  

  Jessi Kershner is the Associate Director for Extension and Engagement at Oregon Sea Grant.  In this role, she provides leadership for Sea Grant's Extension and community engagement program, which includes work in aquaculture, coastal hazards, commercial fisheries , tourism, invasive species, community development, marine renewable energy, and water resources, among other topics.  Jessi has more than 15 years of experience working at the intersection of science and policy to improve the conservation and management of natural resources, with a specific focus on climate adaptation.  Jessi earned a master's degree in marine science and policy from the University of Washington and a bachelor's degree in biology from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

  
  

  Event Details:

  Doors open at 11:30

  Program starts at 12:00

  Show details