Board & Staff Info

Rep. John Lively was born in LaGrande and raised in Wallowa until his family’s move to Springfield in 1963. He served in the US Army Security Agency from 1968 to 1971 and later held management positions in manufacturing, retail and economic development. He served as mayor of Springfield from 1976 to 1986 and was elected to the Legislature in 2012. Rep. Lively’s service in the House includes serving on the Health Care Committee, Transportation and Economic Development Committee, Government Efficiency and Consumer Protection, Veterans and Emergency Preparedness and others. He currently serves as chair of the Economic Development Recovery and Prosperity Committee, on the Committee on Behavioral Health and on the Early Childhood Committee.

His cultural contributions include securing funding and a long-term model of sustainability for the Springfield Museum (while mayor), serving on the SRDC when the Richard E. Wildish Community Theater was refurbished and reopened and being actively engaged in the development of bike and hiking trails, additional park opportunities, concerts in the park and other forms of cultural opportunities in Springfield.

Rep. Lively graduated from Thurston High School, Lane Community College and the University of Oregon, where he earned a bachelor’s in political science. He and his wife Tresa have two grown daughters who also reside in Springfield with their families.