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Personality Profile
Thank you for your service: Mayor Laurie Gere
Anacortes, Wash.’s, Mayor Laurie Gere
By JULIE YOUNG | The Municipal
Laurie Gere’s road to Anacortes, Wash.’s, mayoral office technically began 40 years ago when she launched Gere-A-Deli Restaurant and Catering, a main street business that her son still runs today. As a new business owner, she joined the local chamber. She later served on its board for a decade, even becoming its president for a couple of terms. “I was asked by the mayor to serve as a planning commissioner, which I did for 20 years,” she said. “I was also initially appointed and then elected to the Hospital Commission of our public hospital district for two terms.” An open door With only 10 years of experience behind her as a business owner and part-time public servant, people began to ask her to run for mayor. Gere demurred due to her financial and business commitments. However, in 2013, she had a change of heart. Gere threw her hat into the ring and was elected with 63% of the vote. She was reelected four years later. In February, she announced that she would not seek a third term, but she is grateful for the experience to serve her constituents. “I love my job and felt I landed here with all of the tools I needed to make a difference in my community,” she said. Gere approached municipal management the same way she approached her business: by taking care of the customers (citizens) and the staff while managing the finances by balancing the revenue and expenses. Above all, she believes in being transparent about her decisions and having an open door to all. 38 THE MUNICIPAL | DECEMBER 2021
“It is important to make sure every person feels heard,” she said. “Oftentimes, when I get a concern or complaint, most of the issues can be solved by my listening and finding resources to help. Sometimes, I can’t fix it, but in the end, if the person feels heard and respected, things will work out.” Improving quality of life Over the course of her tenure as mayor, Gere said her biggest accomplishment has been the construction of municipal fiber. When she was first elected, Anacortes residents informed her that they needed reliable, redundant and affordable broadband. However, being on an island separated from the mainland by a bridge made the project more than a little complicated. She turned to the incumbent administration and asked them to partner with hers to build the fiber for the town. They turned her down, but she was not deterred. Implementing a technique she’d learned about from Spain, Gere started building her fiber network by installing it in the water line across the valley from the Anacortes water treatment plant to support the water
