SALEM – Mayor Dominick Pangallo today announced that Salem resident Lisa Peterson is joining his team as Chief of Staff in the Mayor’s office starting on Monday, June 12, 2023.
Peterson is the founder of Run for Our Lives, a nationwide network established to inspire and support women, gender expansive people, and people of color to enter public service and herself served as a Salem City Councillor representing Ward 3 from 2018 to 2020. Peterson served as a trustee of Simmons University and was the founder of Lantern Financial, a financial planning firm based in Boston.
Since 2014 she has worked as the executive director of Adventure Girls, a not-for-profit organization that seeks to connect girls and young women with events, adventures, speakers, and more to cultivate a sense of empowerment and possibility with participants. Peterson holds a Bachelor’s degree in economics from Simmons University and a certificate of financial planning from Boston University.
“I am thrilled to welcome Lisa to our team at City Hall,” said Mayor Pangallo. “Not only is she deeply familiar with the operations of our municipal government and the challenges facing our community, Lisa is also a leader committed to a Salem that serves our residents well, with a forward-looking and optimistic perspective about our city and a strong grounding in organizational management. I’m pleased to welcome her to the team!”
“I’m so honored and proud to join this administration, and I’m eager to help move Salem forward, particularly at this time of important transition,” said Peterson. “I’m enthusiastic to help Mayor Pangallo tackle the challenges and navigate the opportunities we face as a community, as we embrace our strong foundation and look forward toward our future.”
In addition to Peterson, there are two other new individuals working in the Mayor’s Office at City Hall. Sabrina Trask has joined the team as the Office Director and Michael Corley as the Constituent Services and Special Projects Assistant.
Trask is a Salem native and 2020 graduate from Loyola University in New Orleans, with a Bachelor’s in political science where she concentrated in empowerment and opportunity for women in the workforce. After college Trask a began volunteering as an ESL teacher with the New Neighbor Project – something she continues to do today – and got into political campaigns professionally.
Corley graduated this year from SSU with a Bachelor’s in media and communication and was recipient of the Nancy D. Harrington Outstanding Student Leader Award and the MLK Jr. Leadership Award. At SSU he interned for Essex Heritage and GateHouse Media, served as president of the SSU Student Government, and was a board member of the Berry Institute of Politics.
