SPARKS — With the candidate filing period opening Monday, longtime business manager and journeyman plumber Bob Lopes announced Saturday he will run for the Ward 2 Sparks City Council seat current held by term-limited Councilman Phil Salerno.

“Sparks city government faces hard, tough decisions today and in the immediate future. I offer decades of experience in managing job development, business, financial and personnel issues,” Lopes said.

Lopes and his wife, Tamara DiAnda Lopes, own and operate the American Iron gym on S. Rock Boulevard. They have a son, Daniel. Their current Sparks residence has been in the family for more than 70 years.

Lopes, 54, is a graduate of Fernley High School and the Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 350 apprenticeship program. He served in every volunteer and elected position in the Sparks-based union, most recently as business manager and chief executive officer from 1995 to 2009.

Lopes has volunteered his time to train special-needs and at-risk youth. He has assisted in the operation of annual northern Nevada high school weightlifting competition hosted by Hug High School. He served as head coach and assistant coach of the United States national powerlifting team from 1987 to 1994.

He helped establish the Nevada Board of Plumbing Examiners and served on the panel from 2008 to 2009.

Ward 2 includes central and northwest Sparks to the Reno city limits.

His Web site is lopes4sparkscouncil.com.