Kent Keel was unanimously elected to serve as the mayor of the City of University Place for 2018 and 2019 by his peers on the City Council at their Jan. 2, 2018 meeting. Council Member Caroline Belleci will serve as mayor pro tem during the same period.

Keel has served on the U.P. City Council since 2012 and served as its finance committee chair. He has been active in numerous other community boards and organizations as well, including the Pierce Transit Board of Commissioners, Sound Transit Board of Commissioners, Pierce County Regional Council, Puget Sound Regional Council and the Association of Washington Cities Board of Directors.

“Our City is on a positive trajectory and it is my goal, working with Mayor Pro Tem Belleci, to follow that arc,” Keel said. “I want to continue to support economic development in the Town Center area as well as in our other business districts. I also want to be sure that we stay committed to the financial discipline that has brought us to this point.”

Keel says public safety is a top priority for the entire City Council and he would also like to sustain the City’s positive relationships with the U.P. School District, West Pierce Fire & Rescue and the military. He hopes that during his term, the City can also begin to craft its vision for the next 20 years and enhance its communications with residents and businesses.

While looking ahead to his term, Keel was also quick to acknowledge the contributions of his predecessor, former Mayor Javier Figueroa, and the other members of the University Place City Council. “Under Javier’s leadership, we accomplished a lot and I think we demonstrated that even amid today’s hyper-polarized political climate, it is indeed possible to work together on the local level to govern constructively and with civility for the benefit of our citizens,” he said.

A native of Fort Worth, Texas, Keel moved to University Place in 1987 and currently serves as an information technology project manager for the Veterans Administration National Office. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Computer Information Systems and an MBA in Technology & Engineering Management. He has been recognized by the Smithsonian National Museum of American History for his role in the Kent School District’s ground-breaking efforts to integrate technology into the classroom. He also hosted and moderated President Clinton’s National Education Technology Conference.

As a previous member of the U.P. School Board, Keel is especially interested in education issues, and has also served as president and executive director of a low-income housing non-profit. He is an ordained minister of Greater Heights Church and has coached numerous youth sports teams in U.P.

He and his wife of 36 years, Renee, have three adult children, and are passionate advocates for the disabled.

                                       – City of University Place