In this screenshot from video, Diana Helm speaks at a Clackamas County hearing on May 19, 2025. Helm, the former mayor of Damascus, was appointed to a vacant seat on the Clackamas County Board of Commissioners, replacing Melissa Fireside, who resigned months after winning a seat on the board after she was indicted on felony theft and forgery charges.
Clackamas County Live Stream via YouTube / OPB
The Clackamas County Board of Commissioners has selected former Damascus Mayor Diana Helm to serve as its commissioner, capping off a replacement saga that showcased the county’s unusual politics.
The board’s 3-1 decision came at the end of a lengthy public discussion Monday among commissioners in Oregon’s third most populous county. Chair Craig Roberts voted no.
The board, which is nonpartisan, praised Helm for her business experience and said she would improve county-wide representation on the board. The deliberations did not appear tense, but commissioners shifted their stances repeatedly, ultimately compromising and agreeing to appoint Helm.
“Well, that didn’t go how I thought it was going to go either,” Helm said after the board’s vote, adding: “I want to do my best. I want to make you proud.”
Helm will replace former Commissioner Melissa Fireside. Elected in November, Fireside resigned in March while facing felony charges of theft and forgery.
Fireside is accused of stealing $30,000 from an 83-year-old man and forging the signature of a state Rep. April Dobson, a Democrat who represents parts of Clackamas County. She has pleaded not guilty.
The board chose Helm over former Lake Oswego City Councilors Jeff Gudman and Jackie Manz; Happy Valley Mayor Tom Ellis; and Metro Councilor Christine Lewis. The board selected the five candidates out of a field of 59 applicants. Commissioners said Monday’s vote came while facing significant political pressure.
“I’m willing to die on my sword, as I’ve done many times,” Schrader said after supporting Helm. “I’ll be getting a lot of phone calls tonight because there’s a lot of politics at play, as the way things go here.”
Clackamas County is widely considered a politically purple area, frequently making headlines for tensions between the interests of left-leaning urban areas and its conservative rural communities. Commissioners interviewed candidates on a number of the region’s top issues on Monday, including homelessness, economic development and mental health.
The deliberations remained cordial. Commissioner Paul Savas noted the commission’s long history of suburban board members while pointing out Helm for the job. He wanted the board to have representation from the eastern, rural parts of the county.
Roberts stuck with his sole choice during deliberations, Lewis. He said she was a particularly qualified candidate for her experience representing Clackamas County communities while serving on the Metro council.
But commissioners like Schrader and Savas said the county needs Lewis as an advocate on the council, which oversees funding and taxes for a variety of regional issues, like transportation to housing and homelessness.
“A lot of Clackamas County has felt for many years that Metro is a threat and not an ally,” said West, a Republican. “We’re told we’re part of the region, but we haven’t felt that way in who knows when. And you did your job by making us sometimes feel like we’re even in the room.”
Ultimately, Commissioners West and Schrader compromised, backing Helm despite previously saying they would support candidates like Gudman.
“Oftentimes, our rural areas are just brushed away,” said Schrader, a Democrat. “I see my friend Diana as middle-of-the-road, sensible, willing to give people opportunities.”
A commercial and residential property manager, Helm has served on a variety of local boards and committees in Clackamas County. She said she would be an advocate for transportation and economic development in rural communities that are often overlooked or saddled by “unfunded mandates” from some Oregon policymakers.
“I want to work with everyone and on your team and move forward and we’ll see where it goes,” said Helm.
As commissioner, Helm will make $130,213 annually. She is appointed through December 2026, meaning she will have to decide whether to run for the seat next year. She told commissioners Monday that she did not know whether she would run in the next election.
