Salem City Council unanimously appointed Jay Taliaferro to the position of City Manager on December 19, 2019.

“I am honored and humbled that Council has placed this type of confidence in me,” says Taliaferro. “We have some incredible employees in Salem who are dedicated to maintaining the city’s high level of customer service and I look forward to working closely with each of them.”

Taliaferro began his employment with the City of Salem in 1991 as a Staff Engineer and in 1998, he was named City Engineer by City Manager Randy Smith. In 2000, he moved into administration as Assistant City Manager and he served in that role under both Forest Jones and Kevin Boggess.

“I learned a great deal from my experiences with Randy, Forest and Kevin, and I look forward to collaborating with Council on some very exciting projects in the coming months,” he says. “Our goal is to keep Salem moving in a positive and productive direction that will make all of our citizens and visitors proud.”

Taliaferro graduated from Salem High School in 1984 and later earned his Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from Clemson and his MPA in Public Administration from Virginia Tech. He has served with a variety of regional organizations over the years ranging from Virginia’s Blue Ridge to the Western Virginia Regional Jail.

Jay and his wife, Elizabeth, along with their children, reside in Salem. His Dad, the late Jim Taliaferro, was Salem's Mayor from 1974-1996.