Assistant City Manager

Rob Light assumed the role of Assistant City Manager for the City of Salem on September 21, 2020. City Council also named him the city's Interim City Manager on October 23, 2023, following Jay Taliaferro's retirement.

"I appreciate Council having faith in my abilities and I am honored by my appointment as Assistant City Manager for the City of Salem," says Light. "I look forward to serving the citizens and business community both directly and through collaborations with our employees."

The 1989 Salem High School graduate returns to Salem with a wealth of experience in both local government and the private business sector. After graduating from the College of William and Mary in 1993, Light filled a number of managerial and leadership roles for Double Envelope in Roanoke and Louisville, Kentucky, and with Church Hill Homes in Charlottesville.

In 2008, Light returned to the valley, left the business world, and began his career in public service for Roanoke County. Light was the county's Purchasing Manager from 2008-2014 and later moved to General Services where he has operated as that department's Director since 2015. 

Light's Bachelor of Arts degree from William and Mary is in Government and while in Williamsburg he also starred as an offensive lineman for the Tribe from 1989-1993. At Salem High School, Light excelled in football and basketball and he was named one of the Commonwealth's 25 top college football prospects his senior year.

"The life lessons learned in sports have allowed me to feel comfortable communicating and working with staff throughout an organization," he says. "I recognize the important role that every employee plays in creating and maintaining a successful team."

Light and his wife, Cielita, have two teenage children.