Councilman James Martin was elected to City Council in May of 2016 and was officially sworn-in on July 1, 2016, by Clerk of Court Chance Crawford. Raised in Salem, Martin graduated from Salem High School in 1991. He is this week’s Q&A participant.
What is your earliest Salem memory?
One of the earliest Salem memories I have involves two little league football coaches (Dave Roberson and Mike Rutledge) coming to my house on a Thursday night to ask my parents if I wanted to play in a little league game that following Saturday. The next day, Salem Parks & Recreation began a search to find a jersey and pants to fit me. They came through and my dad helped put my pads and uniform on in the first base dug-out at Municipal/Kiwanis Field that morning. I had never played before and was not sure what to do. He said, “You can do this. Just let them help you line up, go tackle whoever has the ball, have fun and stop when you hear the whistle.” So, I did and that turned out to be a fun Salem Football ride!
How did you end up becoming a Salem City Council member?
About six years ago, my wife and I moved back home to be closer to our family before our son was born. We wanted him to grow up in Salem to share some of the same traditions and experiences we benefited from by growing up here. I always thought serving on City Council would be an important honor to continue our traditions and what Salem means to me. There was an empty seat on Council and I was encouraged to run. So, I did and was fortunate to be elected.
What does an average week look like for you?
An “average week”. Well, that’s a tough one because things are so fluid most of the time. Meridium, the industrial software company I moved home to work with, became part of GE Digital on January 1. So, the first two quarters this year have included a good bit of company travel throughout North America for internal GE business and client visits with our heavy industrial clients in the US and Canada. When I’m home, I take my son to pre-school in the mornings then work through my business calendar during the day. Depending on the season, my son will have karate class or various events in the evenings. We spend time tending to a small garden in the back yard or try to have play time with our dogs. We’ll take a walk on the greenway or go to the park. The weekends are spent with family and friends with church on Sunday. Seems like there’s always something to do. I also help coach a little league football team in the fall with three to four nights a week for practice and games.
Talk about your education background. Where did you go to high school and college?
I am a 1991 graduate of Salem High School. My college education began with an opportunity to earn a Bachelor’s Degree from Concord College double-majoring in geography and political science. I also earned a Master’s Degree from Marshall University with an emphasis on urban planning and information systems.
How would you identify yourself ideologically and why?
I believe people are as smart, capable and responsible for their own happiness and health as they want to be. If I had to boil it down into a general term, I’d say social conservative is something I can identify with. Traditional family and business values are important to me but creative ways to help people help themselves need to be available too. For Salem, my goal is to represent and empower the citizens of Salem as we maintain and rebuild our city. I want to see a return of home-grown opportunities for advancement and general feelings of optimism I experienced growing up here. I believe our best days are ahead and we cannot wait for the next big thing to just happen. We have to do the work to make Salem what we want it to become while we honor the story of how we came to be.
What are some things you like to do in Salem?
I really like to take walks and hike through our neighborhood which connects to the Hanging Rock Battlefield Trail. We enjoy Longwood Park and Salem Ice Cream Parlor with my son. And we support Salem Football and attend Red Sox games, Civic Center and Parks/Rec events. There are so many things to do in Salem to enjoy time with family and friends like the Launching Pad, Thunder Valley, Longwood Park Easter Egg Hunt, Penguin Club Easter Breakfast & Christmas Baskets, Christmas Parade, to name a few. And we also enjoy the Salem Library and YMCA.
What books on history have you read that you would recommend to others?
Although more along the lines of economic theory based on historical events, Capitalism and Freedom is a book by Milton Friedman that connected with my views on economic development and personal freedom.
How do you define success?
Success to me could be generally summarized in a quote from Theodore Roosevelt I like. He said, “Far and away one of the best prizes life offers is the chance to work hard at something worth doing.” The only thing I’d add is a preference to work smart and always toward a specific goal.
What are the best ways for constituents to contact you?
My city email address is jmartin@salemva.gov and we have Council Meetings on the second and fourth Monday of every month at 7:30 p.m. in City Hall Council Chambers 114 N Broad St. All are welcomed to attend. Folks can also use my webpage @ http://www.citizensforsalem.org or Facebook @https://www.facebook.com/citizensforsalem/ to connect with me.
If you could go back and give an 18-year-old James some advice, what would you say?
Don’t let trying to be perfect get in the way of making solid progress. Trust your ideas and perspective on what you want in life. You have just as much to offer in this world as everyone else projected to do better. You can be as successful as you want to be in life no matter how you’re measured today. Don’t wait to go make it happen.
-Compiled by Shawn Nowlin