Board of Directors

The legal governing body of Cherriots

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The Cherriots Board of Directors has the authority to make policy and administration decisions. Each board member represents one of seven subdistricts, and their primary responsibility is one of stewardship and trusteeship. The Board establishes priorities, evaluates the performance of the transit system, and approves budgets. The Board also works with community members to improve bus service and address transit-related issues. For correspondence to the full Board, email board@cherriots.org. For more information on the strategic priorities of the District, see Cherriots Strategic Plan.

From the District’s inception until 2019, local voters elected Board members. With recent changes in Oregon law enacted by Senate Bill 1536, seats on the board have become governor-appointed positions. As of July 2019, the governor has the authority to appoint, or discharge, Board members. Board members will still be required to live in the subdistrict they represent.

SB 1536 also repealed a section of state law, ORS 267.302, that prevented the Board from imposing taxes on local business payrolls without first holding an election. Previously, the Board was required to seek voter approval for all tax increases. But this change won’t happen immediately: the Board’s ability to raise taxes administratively doesn’t take effect until January 2026.

Current Board of Directors

Director Lara Midkiff, the son of an Indigenous migrant farmworker and a devoted public servant, was born and raised in the Willamette Valley. He has been a resident of West Salem for over 15 years, and a wheelchair user in a route-scarce neighborhood who depends on public transportation. He is dedicated to helping the agency grow its services to an expanding rural demographic and meeting the needs of elderly, disabled and migrant customers, all while keeping costs affordable and continuing to electrify the fleet. For him, the joy of public transportation is in bringing folks together. Connecting the area’s diverse communities and rendering everyday life more accessible is vital to making the mid-Willamette Valley home. In addition to Cherriots, his public service includes appointments to the Oregon Disabilities Commission, the Salem Human Rights Commission, and the Salem-Keizer Public School’s equity board. Past advocacy work includes two years with Causa of Oregon as an organizer on campaigns protecting Oregon’s sanctuary status and passing the Equal Access to the Roads Act in 2019.

Director Ramiro Navarro Jr. grew up in Keizer, Oregon, and graduated from the Salem-Keizer School District before joining the military at age 18. Since returning from Iraq in 2010, he has continued to serve his country in other ways, including being the veterans representative at Chemeketa Community College, supporting youth through the Oregon Veterans Youth Challenge, advocating for ADA services, helping organize events to promote inclusivity, serving on the IMPACTS (Improving People's Access to Community-based Treatment, Supports, and Services) Grant Review Committee for criminal justice reform, and is a program coordinator at a local nonprofit organization for people facing mental health disorders. Director Navarro is passionate about serving on the Board to expand access to public transportation as someone who used public transportation frequently in his life. His mantra is “Be the change you wish to see" and he works hard to leave the world better than he received it for his five children and hopefully for his children's children.

Director Sadie Carney has a professional background in policy work, urban and regional planning, transportation planning, and community involvement. She currently serves as a policy analyst and communications manager for the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development. She formerly worked for Cherriots as the Director of Community Relations. She is an active community volunteer and a strong advocate for equity and inclusion. 

Director Carney has a master’s in Urban and Regional Land Use Planning from Portland State University, and a bachelor’s degree from Middlebury College in Vermont. She lives in the Grant Neighborhood with her family, where she is a bicycle commuter, farmers market regular, and mother of four. Because of their commute differences, she prefers to pay by the trip, while her husband will only use the Universal Pass.

President Maria Cecilia Hinojos Pressey is a daughter of Mexican immigrants from Chihuahua, Mexico.

Professionally, she is the Deputy Director for PCUN, which is an organization that advocates for Oregon farmworkers and working Latinx families.

Hinojos Pressey previously worked with a refugee resettlement agency, helping refugees and asylum seekers obtain jobs, navigate public transportation, and settle into new homes. Prior to that she worked as a Latinx community advocate at the Domestic Violence Resource Center.

In addition to her role as the Cherriots Board President, Hinojos Pressey is a member of the Salem-Keizer School District Board of Directors.

She holds a bachelor's degree in religious studies from the University of New Mexico and a master's in sociology from Arizona State University.

Director Ian Davidson is committed to ensuring affordable, sustainable, and equitable transportation options in the Salem-Keizer area and the broader Mid-Willamette Valley region. Professionally, he is the Justice Reinvestment Program Manager for the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission. His past work experience includes stints at the Oregon Legislature, Bonneville Power Administration, the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, and the Association of Oregon Counties.

Director Davidson is a graduate of Oregon State University’s Master of Public Policy program and has a bachelor’s degree in history from Brigham Young University. Prior to his appointment to the Cherriots board in 2019, he served on the Oregon Citizen’s Utility Board and the Salem City Council Public Transit Committee. He and his wife, along with their two daughters, live in Salem. Together, they enjoy going to the farmers market, hiking, gardening, and remodeling their home.

Director Sara Duncan has lived in the Salem community for most of her life and is a longtime Cherriots rider and advocate of public transit. As a board member, she plans to take an active part to keep community transit service healthy and responsive to future community needs. Director Duncan has served the greater Salem community in a number of leadership and supporting roles that span from non-profits and public service to health care. Professionally, she is the recycling coordinator for Mid-Valley Garbage and Recycling Association. In 2017, she graduated from Concordia University with a bachelor’s of arts degree in biology. “I want to see a downtown that thrives, suburbs that are not isolated from the city, and clean air to breathe. The promotion of Cherriots as a valuable community resource is essential to seeing these goals to fruition.”

Director Bill Holmstrom has both professional and volunteer experience in public transportation. He currently serves as the Transportation and Land Use Planning Coordinator at the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development. He formally served on the Board of the Tillamook County Transportation District, serving as board chair for two years. Prior to his appointment to the Cherriots Board of Directors, he served on the Cherriots Budget Committee from 2009-2022.

Director Holmstrom grew up in Beaverton, and attended the University of Oregon. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Planning, Public Policy and Management, and studied for two years of post-baccalaureate work in Community and Regional Planning. He currently lives in Salem with his wife and two children. Director Holmstrom understands that public transportation is a critical infrastructure for our community and wants to ensure decisions being made are informed by members across the community. 

View the Board Subdistrict Map

View the Board Subdistrict Map