Administrative Services Manager
Sam Austin
Sam Austin has been an Administrative Services Manager in the union’s Salem office since 1990. Born in Roseburg, Austin grew up in Jefferson, Ore., and graduated from Jefferson High School. She attended Chemeketa Community College in Salem, then spent three years with an insurance company in Albany before joining the Council 75 staff. Though her given name is Sandra, she was christened “Sam” by a sibling at a young age and the nickname stuck. Away from the office, Austin likes to travel, cook, spend time with friends and read mystery novels. Austin lives in Salem with her son, Chase.
Email: saustin@oregonafscme.org
Phone: (503) 370-2522, Ext. 4322
Fiscal & Accounting Services Representative
Karen Bahnsen
Karen Bahnsen has been the union’s Fiscal and Accounting Services Representative since 2008. Before working for AFSCME Bahnsen was a bookkeeper for the Salem-Keizer School District. She and her husband Kevin have three adult daughters. Away from the office, Bahnsen enjoys time with her grandchildren, reading, traveling, biking and water skiing.
Email: kbahnsen@oregonafscme.org
Phone: (503) 370-2522, Ext. 4340
Fiscal Assistant
Molly Bensman
Email: mbensman@oregonafscme.org
Phone: (503) 370-2522, Ext.4339
Legal Counsel
Jennifer Chapman
Jennifer Chapman has been an Oregon AFSCME Legal Counsel since 2011. Prior to joining the union staff, Chapman was a member of Local 1085 while serving as an attorney at the Oregon Department of Justice. She also has experience with an insurance defense law firm. Chapman grew up in Texas, completed her undergraduate degrees (political science and psychology) from the University of North Texas and then came west to attend law school at Lewis & Clark in Portland. Chapman and her husband, Tom, live in McMinnville with their four young sons.
Email: jchapman@oregonafscme.org
Phone: (503) 370-2522, Ext. 4326
Council Representative
Kim Harman
Kim Harman has been a Council Representative since 2015. For 18 years prior to joining the Oregon AFSCME staff, Harman was an organizer for UNITE HERE and a variety of community groups, with career stops in Honolulu, Chicago, Buffalo and Boston. A native of Michigan, Harman attended college at Purdue University and received a master’s degree in Urban Planning from the University of Iowa. Harman also has the distinction of participating in the AFL-CIO's first “Union Summer” training program in 1996. Harman lives in Salem with her boyfriend and two cats.
Email: kharman@oregonafscme.org
Phone: (503) 370-2522, Ext. 4337
Council Representative
Diane Lovell
Diane Lovell has likely worked for Oregon AFSCME for more total years than anyone. She worked for Council 75 for five years in the mid- to late 1970s, spent five years with OPEU then returned to AFSCME in 1985 and is now the union’s senior Council Representative. Lovell spent over 15 years as AFSCME’s representative on the Public Employees Benefit Board. Away from the office, Lovell enjoys golf, cooking and gardening. Lovell lives in Aurora with her husband, Gary. They have two grown daughters.
Email: dlovell@oregonafscme.org
Phone: (503) 370-2522, Ext. 4346
Office Specialist
Amy Moskal
Amy Moskal has been the Office Specialist in the Salem AFSCME Headquarters office since 2008. She has over 20 years secretarial experience working at various businesses in the Salem area. Away from the office, Moskal likes to garden, root for the San Francisco Giants and watch her kids participate in various sports. Moskal and her husband Chad, two kids and two dogs make their home in West Salem.
Email: amoskal@oregonafscme.org
Phone: (503) 370-2522, Ext. 4321
Council Representative
Randy Ridderbusch
Randy Ridderbusch has been a Council Representative since 2002. For the 10 years prior to joining the union staff, Ridderbusch was a Department of Corrections Food Services Coordinator and member of Local 2376. As the Local 2376 President in 1999, led his local on a successful seven-day strike. A self-described "Army brat," Ridderbusch lived in various locales growing up but Salem was always home. He graduated from the University of Nevada-Reno. Away from the office Ridderbusch enjoys playing with his dogs and golfing. He and his wife, Sandy, live in South Salem.
Email: randy@oregonafscme.org
Phone: (503) 370-2522, Ext. 4324
Council Representative Anneliese Sheahan
Anneliese Sheahan joined Council 75 as a Council Representative in 2016. for childcare providers and Department of Land and Conservation and Development. Anneliese joins us from AFSCME Council 32 in Wisconsin where she was the president and representative for the child care unions. Anneliese was a licensed family child care provider for 15 years in Wisconsin. She has a MA in Elementary Education with an emphasis in Early Childhood Education from the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point and was an adjunct professor in the Early Childhood Education Dept. at Northcentral Technical College in Wausau, WI. Anneliese and her husband Zack enjoy camping and kayaking, horseback riding, and traveling. The family looks forward to exploring more of Oregon and the Pacific Northwest.
Email: asheahan@oregonafscme.org
Phone: (503) 370-2522, Ext.
Political Coordinator
Daniel Torres
Dan Torres joined AFSCME Council 75 in 2017 after working 9 years in various labor, political and community organizing roles. He has worked 5 election cycles on races ranging from State Legislatures up to U.S. Presidential. In between electoral cycles, Dan has worked for AFT-Oregon, AFL-CIO International, and SEIU Oregon State Council. He went to Oregon State Universtiy studying communication, coached speech and debate, and taught argument as a graduate student. Originally from Reno, Nevada, Dan lives in Portland where he serves on the board of the Bus Project and as a trainer for the Oregon Labor Candidate School.
Email: dtorres@oregonafscme.org
Phone: (503) 853-4697
Council Representative
Tim Woolery
Tim Woolery, an Oregon AFSCME Council Representative since 2006, is the Council 75 Corrections Coordinator, responsible for assisting in the oversight of the members in the AFSCME Security and Security Plus units. A United States Marine Corps veteran, Woolery spent four years in law enforcement and 18 years as an Oregon correctional officer prior to working full-time for the union. He lives in Salem.
Email: twoolery @oregonafscme.org
Phone: (503) 370-2522, Ext. 4343