Community Government
Reid Ekberg appointed to Gig Harbor City Council
The Gig Harbor City Council appointed lifelong city resident Reid Ekberg to fill the council position vacated when Mary Barber became mayor.
The council appointed Ekberg during a special meeting on Thursday, Dec. 12.
Prominent local family
Ekberg has deep family roots in the Gig Harbor community. His grandfather founded an insurance agency here in 1896, a business of which Reid Ekberg is now president.
He’s also president-elect of the Washington State Association of Independent Insurance agents and an advisory board member for the Gig Harbor YMCA and the Gig Harbor BoatShop. He’s a familiar face at city hall, having served two terms on the city’s planning commission.
Gig Harbor Mayor Mary Barber swears in her replacement on the City Council, Reid Ekberg. Photo courtesy city of Gig Harbor.
Carrianne Ekberg, Reid’s wife, is the executive director of the Gig Harbor Downtown Waterfront Alliance.
His dad, Steve Ekberg, served on the city council for nearly four decades. Several years ago, the younger Ekberg began talking with his father about being a city council member.
“Dad shared a lot of his experiences with me, but he also told me, ‘You need to make sure it’s the right time,’” Reid Ekberg said. “It wasn’t the right time then, but now that our kids are older, it feels like the right time is now.”
Priorities
Ekberg identified economic development, affordable housing and historic preservation as major challenges facing the city.
He said the city needs to promote a “diversity of housing styles.”
“We need to recognize that different people have different housing needs — a single person or a retired couple doesn’t necessarily want a big house,” Ekberg said. “If we have different people living close together in different kinds of houses, we have a stronger community.”
Ekberg wants the city to continue preserving its historic buildings and other properties and cites examples like the Eddon BoatShop, Skansie Netshed and Wilkinson Farm.
He added that he’s eager to learn more about the Gig Harbor’s Native heritage.
“When I was in school we weren’t ever told about the first people who lived here” he said. “We’ve already done a few things, like naming the txwaalqet Estuary and installing signage at Austin Park. But I have to learn more about that part of our heritage and I look forward to that.”
Ekberg will serve until the November 2025 election is certified. During the interview process, he and the other candidates all said that they would consider running for the council position next fall. Five council seats and the mayor’s office will be before voters next November.
New Gig Harbor City Council member Reid Ekberg, left, with daughter Cora, wife Carrianne, niece Kylie, son Milo and dog Odie. Photo by Sarah Montgomery courtesy Ekberg family
18 candidates
Eighteen people applied for the vacant council seat, though four dropped out before Thursday’s meeting and one failed to show up for an interview.
The council selected four finalists: Emily Stone, Stephen McDuffie, Julie Martin and Ekberg.
Councilmember Jeni Woock nominated Ekberg.
“He brings a wealth of city history to the council as he has lived in Gig Harbor his entire life and has chosen to make Gig Harbor home for his family. He was on the planning commission for two terms, is a small business owner and stressed the importance of preserving the special character of his home town,” Woock said.
“That, and his understanding of the “why” of Gig Harbor and the importance of economic growth to sustain our beautiful town gave me the confidence to put his name forward.”
City Administrator Katrina Knutson added that “Reid will be an excellent addition to the City Council as his professional and volunteer experience lend themselves to the role of City Councilmember. We are eager to on-board and support him as he begins his service to the residents of Gig Harbor.”
When the council returns from holiday break on Jan. 13, don’t be surprised to see a stuffed animal next to Ekberg’s nameplate at council meetings. It’s a gift from his daughter.
“When she learned that I’d been appointed to the council, she said that was cool, but that I would need to be sure that I always had one of her stuffed animals with me,” he said.