Mayor Anna M. Peterson took office on January 11, 2011, and is serving her second term. She has been a leader in business, civic and community organizations in Salem for over 25 years.  She attended Roosevelt High School, in Portland, Oregon and received a Bachelor of Science degree, in Journalism from the University of Oregon.  Mayor Peterson is married to Edwin Peterson, the former Chief Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court.  

She has served on the Board of Directors of SEDCOR, owned her own Marketing/PR firm, managed Capitol Press Printing, was the Marketing and Development Director at Garten Foundation and the first woman Director for the Commercial Bank (now West Coast Bank). 

She is a strong proponent of public safety, she co-founded and was three year Chair of NO METH – NOT In MY Neighborhood, served four years on the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission, chaired the Governor’s Meth Task Force, and was on Salem's Community Policing Advisory Committee, the Oregon Medical Association Amphetamine Task Force, the Marion County Guido Caldarazzo Meth Task Force and is on the Marion County Public Safety Coordinating Council. She has just been selected for the Mid-Willamette Valley Council of Governments Executive Council. 

She has led arts and civic organizations, including Salem Rotary Club, the Oregon Symphony Association in Salem, the Historic Elsinore Theatre, the Salem Public Library Foundation, and is a founding director of the Oregon Artists Series Foundation to bring art to public spaces in Salem.  Anna has twice received Salem’s highest volunteer recognition, the Willard C. Marshall Award and was named Salem Area Chamber of Commerce First Citizen in 2003. 

Quote from Mayor Peterson:  “I am pleased to be the Mayor of Salem.  What better time to bring our residents together, maximize our resources, and build upon the many accomplishments of recent years.  I tell people - we are not broke; we are not broken; and we must continue to move forward”. 

Term Expires:  December 31, 2014