SE Valley Times

At its July 1 Special City Council Meeting, Mayor Corey Woods, Councilmember Randy Keating, Councilmember Doreen Garlid, and first-time Councilmember Nikki Amberg were sworn in for four-year terms. Councilmember Garlid was unanimously chosen as the new Vice Mayor.

They join Councilmembers Jennifer Adams, Arlene Chin, and Berdetta Hodge on the Tempe City Council.

Mayor Corey Woods was elected mayor of the City of Tempe in March 2020. He previously served as a Councilmember for the City of Tempe from July 2008 to July 2016. He champions initiatives for affordable housing and human services while working to improve community development standards to attract business investment and protect neighborhoods.

Vice Mayor Doreen Garlid was first elected to the Tempe City Council in 2020. She made history as the first Native American elected to the Tempe City Council. She is on the Board of Directors for the National League of Cities, a member of Kiwanis Club of Tempe and Tempe Sister Cities. She has also served over 10,000 people in impoverished countries with Mobilize Medical.

Councilmember Jennifer Adams, a former 29-year employee of the City of Tempe, was first elected to Tempe City Council in 2018. She serves on the Board of Directors for Tempe Tourism and Valley Metro Board of Directors and is a member of the Kiwanis Club of Tempe.

Councilmember Nikki Amberg was sworn in for her inaugural term on July 1. She has called Tempe her home for 25 years and has an extensive background in public policy and nonprofit work. Her community involvement includes serving on the Boards of Directors for both Tempe Community Council and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Arizona.

Councilmember Arlene Chin's community commitment began with her service on the Mayor’s Youth Advisory Commission. Elected to the council in 2022 after serving as an appointed member from May 2019 to June 2020, she is on both Downtown Tempe Authority Board of Directors and Arizona Municipal Water User's Association Board of Directors.

In 2022, Councilmember Berdetta Hodge became the first African American female elected to the Tempe City Council. Her work includes supporting organizations such as Habitat for Humanity and Keep Tempe Beautiful. She is a board member at both Tempe Family YMCA and Maricopa Association of Governments Regional Domestic Violence Council.

Elected to Tempe City Council in 2016, Councilmember Randy Keating has worked on various causes including adaptive parks, affordable housing, youth suicide prevention, and desert conservation among others.

For more information about each council member or how to connect with them visit tempe.gov/elected or watch their video messages online.

Media Contact: Kris Baxter-Ging

480-250-5198