Lisa Garst for Salem City Council

Lisa Garst has been working since she was 14.  Her first job was as a "stringer" for the Covington Virginian newspaper.  Her beat was Little League Baseball. Lisa followed local and high school sports for the next four-years. After attending the American Legion Auxiliary's Girls State Program in high school, Lisa went to Mary Baldwin College with a budding interest in public service.

She used her background in communications to become more involved in state and local elections. Lisa graduated Phi Beta Kappa, Magna Cum Laude, from Mary Baldwin College with a degree in Political Science and an emphasis in Communications.

Lisa has over 20 years experience in business, marketing and communications.  She describes herself as a "spreadsheet geek" who prefers to make decisions after a thorough understanding of the facts. Lisa works at Sterling Engineered Sales, a manufacturer's representative firm started by her husband, Reid, in 1996. Sterling is based in Salem with staff also in Richmond. At Sterling, she is Vice President for Finance and Marketing.

As a small business owner, Lisa understands the daily challenges of working within budget, managing personnel and staying compliant with local, state and federal regulations.  Lisa wants to use the management and organizational skills she has learned from years in the business community to serve the citizens of Salem. 

Speaking about running for Council, Lisa said, "I have been training for this job my entire life.  I want to use my call to service and my experience in business to represent Salem."

To view Lisa's complete resume, please click here. 

For thoughts and observations from the campaign trail, click here to read my blog.