Keizer City Council President Richard Walsh

Council President Walsh has served on the Keizer City Council since August of 2000.  He was appointed to the Council in August of 2000 to fill an unexpired term and was elected to office in 2002 and 2006.  His current term will expire on January 1, 2011.

Current City Council Special Projects

Council President Walsh was instrumental in the development of Keizer Rapids Park and continues to give his time and efforts to making the park a regionally significant riverfront community park.    

For his efforts in bringing together many regional partners into the Keizer Rapids Park project, Councilor Walsh was awarded the 2004 Gwen VanDenBosch Regional Leadership award by the Mid-Willamette Valley Council of Governments. The award is given every year to an elected official who demonstrates outstanding leadership in support of regional, intergovernmental cooperation.

Additionally, Councilor Walsh is a founding member of the Mid Willamette River Connections Group that created the Willamette River Water Trail and is currently working on expanding the Water Trail from Corvallis to north of Keizer.  The integration of Keizer Rapids Park planning into the Water Trail Project was instrumental in securing substantial funding for Keizer.

Councilor Walsh is also currently the chairman of the Keizer Library Task Force and is an active member of the Keizer Personnel Committee and Keizer Bikeways Committee. He is also currently serving as the Council liaison to the Chamber of Commerce Economic and Government Affairs Committee and other committees. 

Profession

Council President Walsh is a lawyer with 20 years of experience.  He is the owner of Walsh & Associates, a law firm in Keizer at Staats Lake. Walsh & Associates emphasizes personal injury and workers’ compensation cases and provides a full range of legal services including organizing, presenting and negotiating claims, administrative hearings, jury trials and appellate practice. Richard Walsh’s practice includes alternative dispute resolution forums including arbitrations and mediations. He is experienced in serving as an arbitrator in numerous contested cases involving personal injury, PIP, uninsured motorist and under-insured motorist claims. As a small business owner in Keizer, his duties also include administration of business, finance, taxes, personnel and client management issues.

Council President Walsh has enjoyed a very successful law practice. In addition to practicing law, he has also been asked to give many presentations and has written various papers on successful trial techniques to lawyers in legal education seminars.  He was just recently selected as the featured attorney in the April 2006 Marion County Bar Association Bulletin and was selected as the President’s Circle Spotlight Attorney featured in the February 2006 monthly issue of SIDEBAR, published by the Oregon Trial Lawyers Association. 

Council President Walsh is a member of the Oregon State Bar, the Federal Bar for the United States District Court for Oregon, the Oregon Trial Lawyer Association, the Association of Trial Lawyers of America and the American Bar Association Litigation Section.  You can visit his law firm website at www.walshandassociateslaw.com.

Education

Council President Walsh attended Oregon State University and Portland State University and received his Bachelor of Science Degree in 1983 with academic honors. He attended the University of Oregon Law School 1983-1986 and during that time served on the University of Oregon Constitution Court, including a term as the University’s Chief Justice.  He graduated and passed the bar exam in 1986 and received his Doctorate of Jurisprudence degree with a graduating class rank of 17 of 155. 

Community Service List

1.    City of Keizer: Current Positions May 16, 2006

a.          City Councilor on Keizer City Council, August 2000 ~ present

b.          City Council President, January 2005 ~ present

c.          Chair: Keizer Ad Hoc Library Task Force(s) January 2000 ~ present, Chair 2004 ~ present

d.          Chair Keizer Rapids Park Task Force (RIVERR) 2003 ~ present

e.          Keizer Urban Renewal Agency Member, 2000 ~ present

f.            Keizer Budget Committee, 2000 ~ present (Vice Chair 2003, Chair 2004)

g.          Keizer Chamber of Commerce Liaison, 2001 ~ 2002; 2005 ~ present

h.          Keizer Bikeways Liaison, 2003 ~ present

i.            Chair, Keizer Municipal Judge Evaluation and Review Committee chair, 2003 ~ present

j.             Founding Member of Mid-Willamette River Connections, 2001 ~ present

k.          Keizer Personnel Rules Committee Member, August 2000 ~ present

2.    City of Keizer Prior Positions

a.         Community Policing Committee Liaison, 2000

b.         Keizer Charter Task Force, 2004

c.         Keizer Urban Renewal Board Liaison, 2000~2002

d.         Keizer Liaison to Salem Area Futures Committee, 2001~2002

e.         Member of Keizer Futures Project, 2002

f.           Keizer Planning Commission Liaison, 2002

g.         Council Procedures Task Force, March 2003~2004

h.         Salem Keizer Area Transportation Study Committee, (SKATS) 2003~2004

i.           Keizer Representative to Mid-Willamette Valley Area Commission on Transportation (MWACT) 2003~2004.

3.    Other Community Activities

a. Keizer Elementary School

i.              Treasurer of the Parent Teacher Club of Keizer Elementary 1999~2000

ii.            Member of Multiple Committees for LSAC/PTC 1998~2000 including Committee that Helped Create the Computer Lab with Private Donations

iii.          Member of the 21^st century Site Council for Keizer Elementary 1998-99, 1999-2000, 2000-2001 school years

iv.           Volunteer on numerous activities for school activities and fund raisers

v.             Meetings with various legislators on school funding issues (1998 legislative session)

vi.           Hosted town hall meeting with local legislators to encourage school funding with Coalition for School Funding Now. (1998 legislative session)

b. St. Edwards Church

i.              Member of Administrative Council 1999 ~ present

ii.            Lecturer 1998 ~ present

iii.          Volunteer (soup kitchen, hospitality homeless shelter, Keizer Iris Festival, etc.)

iv.           1^st year Parish co-coordinator for Disciples in Mission program

c.  Boy Scouts of America

i.              Registered Adult Leader for Troop 121 in Keizer (2003 ~ present)

ii.            Chairman of Troop 121 Friends of Scouting Fund-raising Campaign which has successfully raised the highest “Presidential” level of financial support for the District, every year from 2004 to the present.