Prior to being elected to the City Council, he served on the Budget Committee.  Councilor Sheldon is serving his second term as a Board Director of the North Plains Chamber of Commerce, currently as its’ President.  In addition, Councilor Sheldon also serves as a Board Director of multiple Not for Profit organizations.  He is also a member and officer of the North Plains Knights of Pythias, Glencoe Lodge No .22. 

With a passion for the vitality and livability of a small town, Councilor Sheldon has been an active participant in various volunteer roles.  He is a recipient of the 2012 North Plains Volunteer of the Year award and the 2015 Volunteer Lifetime Achievement award. 

He obtained his Bachelor of Science degree at Portland State University.  A Project Sales Engineer and Project Manager, Councilor Sheldon is employed by Rogers Machinery, a compressed air and vacuum system company in Portland. Russ and his wife Karen have three grown children; two sons and a daughter.  

Councilor Sheldon was re-elected for a second term in November, 2020 and his current term expires December 31, 2024. His email is russ.sheldon@northplains.org.

Meet Your Council: Councilor Russ Sheldon

Councilor Russ Sheldon has served on the City Council for five years and was recently re-elected for a four-year term expiring at the end of 2024. Prior to being elected to the City Council, he served on the Budget Committee. With a passion for the vitality and livability of a small town, Councilor Sheldon is and has been an active participant in various volunteer roles. He is serving his third term as a Board Director of the North Plains Chamber of Commerce and is currently its President. He serves as a board director of multiple non-profit organizations and is a member and officer of the North Plains Knights of Pythias, Glencoe Lodge No. 22. He is a recipient of the 2012 North Plains Volunteer of the Year award and the 2015 Volunteer Lifetime Achievement award. A proponent of gradual and balanced growth, Councilor Sheldon is focused on the needs for economic development of the greater community and essential businesses to help support our local economy.  He earned a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from Portland State University and a minor in Business Administration. A Project Sales Engineer and Project Manager, Councilor Sheldon is employed by Rogers Machinery, a compressed air and vacuum system company in Portland. Russ and his wife Karen have three grown children; two sons and a daughter.

Q. Why do you serve on the City Council?

A. Every community needs leadership to help provide direction and policy. For this reason, my service to the community on the City Council is to ensure we provide a foundation and framework for the efficient allocation of resources and infrastructure to meet the needs of a growing community. Without plans, no roadmap exists to help us achieve our goals and aspirations as a unique, rural community on the frontier of the greater metropolitan area. We must plan for what is to come, even when it may be difficult to see where we are going.  We have to draw from our previous experiences as a City, learn where we have shortfalls and be bold enough to set quantifiable goals to guide our path along the way to becoming more sophisticated and mature about policy that will enhance our way of life here in North Plains. I want to ensure that our deliberations on how we go about changing things is balanced and is in keeping with the small rural way of life, despite our proximity to the larger metropolitan area. I want to ensure we keep our identity, but stand out among the giants in the county, and be responsive to the needs of our businesses and residents.

Q. What city accomplishment are you most proud of helping the City achieve during your time on City Council?

A. Perhaps the most rewarding accomplishment that excites me is the cohesiveness of the Council and the economic development path we have set forth to foster growth and business development going forward.  Our work to form an Economic Development Committee and to renew our Urban Renewal Agency plans and directions shows many early signs of progress and promise. My part in this is small, but having a voice about a deliberate direction on the economic front is no small work. One action I'm particularly proud to be a part of is the newly acquired land to create the Glencoe Opportunity Area. With this, we are finally on our way to economic progress with a means to establish a planned mixed-use area that will benefit the entire community for years to come. There are many missing services within the community and having a place for businesses that want to locate their essential services here plays an important role in the vitality of our community.

Q. What opportunity or challenge in the community are you most passionate about and why?

A.  For me and I believe most of our residents, a paramount concern going forward is growth. I believe in controlled growth and balancing that with community interests. We must strive to plan deliberately, keeping our emotions aside and thinking about the greater good of the community when we contemplate policy. I regard growth as 'macro' - meaning encompassing all things community - not just residential units or business interests, but all of it weighed together for the livability and vitality of the whole community. We must account for the needs of the community, the services it desires and is willing to pay for, and the infrastructure necessary to get it done. We need to continuously improve how we manage growth, balancing all interests to align our policy to ensure we maintain the small community (town) feeling.    

Q. What would you say to a resident who asks you, "What is the best way to get involved in North Plains?"

A. First, volunteer for something that meets with your schedule and interests, even if you only have two hours to give. There are a number of organizations that will find a role for you - just ask. At any given time, a number of vacancies exist on several appointed committees within the city that may only require a small amount of time commitment, but that you might find rewarding. Lend your expertise to an organization or the city that you feel is the best fit for your skillset! Perhaps lending a hand at the Library a few times a month when they are fully open for business again, or reading to kids at North Plains Elementary School will fulfill your needs to serve? There are many opportunities, whether serving on the City Council, the Planning Commission or many of the other committees, boards, foundations or organizations that exist in our community. Trust me, I know firsthand that time is precious and spending it with your fellow residents is a great way to make friends and get to know people better.  Getting involved in the community can be both fulfilling and rewarding!

Q. Can you share a few fun facts about you? 

A. I'm a percussionist and like classical piano music. I’m a novice drummer who played in different bands many years ago. It has been a long time since I have played a gig, but I love rhythm and can feel the Blues. I still play for fun and also exercise to escape the day-to-day world, which helps me relax.

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