Public Background
Kent is a community leader who has been elected to public office by voters in University Place six consecutive times over the past 22 years. He served 10 years as a School Board Director of the University Place School District between 2001 and 2011.
There, he was twice elected Board President by his peers on the Board. The focus of our school board was “Kids come first”. Anyone familiar with our area at that time knew that University Place Schools were among the best in the state for academic achievement, fiscal management, and community relations.
This was achieved by providing teachers with the tools, time and training they needed; acting on the belief that all children can learn; holding the overall system accountable; and meeting the expectations of parents and the community. When he retired in 2011 from the school board, all students were achieving well above most of their peers across the state.
When first elected to City Council, Kent pledged to help reduce debt and complete the town center, attract business, increase safety and support recreation. Twelve years later, the Town Center is substantially complete. Business there and around our city is thriving!
The council made the tough decisions to balance the City budget and reduce debt by millions. The City is well positioned to meet its financial obligations. Parks and ballfields remain viable and provide wonderful venues for citizens to enjoy the outdoors.
The council has added deputies and dollars to police to increase public safety. And recently, citizens passed a property measure to further provide additional deputies and public safety resources.
Simply put, Kent has delivered on all his campaign promises to voters.
When he retires from the city council at the end of 2023, the city will have reduced their debt, completed the Town Center, and increased the funding to add more police officers patrolling the streets.
As Pierce County Assessor-Treasurer, Kent will keep his promise of transparency, advocacy, equity, and proficiency.
As a former Pierce Transit Chair, Sound Transit Chair, and Association of Washington Cities President, Kent has worked with state, regional and county committees and lawmakers, and understands well how legislation, public transportation, homelessness, mental illness, and drug abuse can impact affordable housing and property values.
Personal Background
Kent is the former owner of a technology consulting business that provided business process reengineering, project management and technology strategic planning to the healthcare, retail, education, law enforcement and defense industries.
Kent’s technology work has twice been inducted to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. His ground-breaking work in K-12 technology for web design and network infrastructure implementation are permanent parts
of our national archives.
As a child, his passions were team sports and mathematics. He was competitive in both activities.
In 1976, he graduated from Stuttgart American High School in Stuttgart, Germany at the age of 17 a full year younger than most of his peers.
Kent was born to Ann and Russell Keel on Carswell Air Force Base in Fort Worth, Texas. He is the eldest of one brother and four sisters. His father was a career soldier with two tours in Vietnam.
The family moved every three years. Subsequently, he has lived in Europe, seven different states and traveled to all the others except for Maine and Alaska.
In high school, Kent lettered in three sports and was named first team All-Europe in football.
After high school, Kent served on active duty in the Army and later as a drilling army reservist. Kent retired from the Army after 22 years of Honorable service.
Kent and wife Renee have been married for 41 years and have been homeowners in Pierce County since 1987. They have adult children and, teenaged and toddler grandchildren.
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