Howard Packett

Howard C. Packett is a former mayor of Salem, Virginia. Packett was elected to his final term on the city council in May 2004, and served that term until 2008. Packett served on the council for 24 years. Packett became mayor in 2006 when former mayor Carl Tarpley decided not to seek another term. Under Salem's electoral system, the mayor is a member of the city council selected by the other members to serve as mayor. With Tarpley gone, Packett became the most senior member of the city council and the other members of the council selected him as mayor. In his professional life, Packett owned an advertising agency in Roanoke, Virginia named the Packett Group which is now part of Neathawk Dubuque & Packett.