Salem City Councilwoman, Lisa Garst, handed in her resignation letter yesterday evening during a closed session portion of the council’s regularly scheduled meeting at City Hall. Garst, who was first elected to the city’s governing body in 2008, will officially step down from her post on December 15, 2015 to take over as the Director for a Livable Roanoke Valley. According to the city she has been instrumental in promoting various stages of greenway construction, establishing the Salem Rotary Dog Park, recognizing green initiatives in the city and forming the Salem Fresh Ideas Garden. In 2011, she received the DePaul Woman of Achievement in Government Award. Garst’s current term on City Council was set to expire in the summer of 2016. Originally, she had hoped to stay on council while beginning her new job with Livable Roanoke Valley, but she elected to step down to avoid any possible conflict of interest between the two positions.
