The Woodburn City Council is set to welcome a fresh face next, as Alma Grijalva runs unopposed for the Ward 6 councilor position.
Eric Morris, the current Ward 6 councilor, is not seeking reelection.
Grijalva has lived in Woodburn for the past 40 years. She once had an Allstate Insurance agency in town and has worked for Salud Medical Center, the Oregon Legal Services Farm Worker Office, and the Farm Worker Housing Development Corporation.
Most recently, Grijalva retired from her position as a high school counselor in Woodburn, a job she loved and felt connected her to the students and parents in the community.
“I love that you can live in Woodburn, hopefully have a job in Woodburn, and also educate and raise your family here, and that we have the community resources to do that,” Grijalva said. “And so, that was my No. 1 goal in every job I have taken.”
While Grijalva has never been on a city council, she has served on the city’s planning commission and is a past president of the Rotary Club of Woodburn.