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.

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.

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.

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.

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.