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At-Large Council Member Kiara Daniels was elected in November 2021. A proud Tacoma native and resident of Central Tacoma’s Hilltop neighborhood, she is a longtime community advocate who values giving back and contributing to a stronger community.

While attending The Evergreen State College, where she earned a master’s degree in public administration, Council Member Daniels was inspired to follow in her parents’ footsteps – each of whom served more than 30 years for the State of Washington – and work to enhance services across the community. She has since dedicated her entire career to strengthening community access to education, affordable housing, and local business development.

In her time serving as a volunteer at the Northwest Leadership Foundation, Council Member Daniels adopted a mantra – “Love our city.” With this mantra energizing her and fueling her passion and ongoing commitment to Tacoma, she believes that if we really love our city, we will care for the people in it by ensuring everyone has access to basic human rights, including safe and affordable housing, food security, quality public education, living wage jobs, and safety.

A Tacoma Public Schools’ School of the Arts graduate, Council Member Daniels continues to recruit under-represented students to Tacoma Public Schools’ high schools specializing in art, math, science, and engineering.

Council Member Daniels also works as the business and community development coordinator for Spaceworks Tacoma, which first launched as a joint initiative of the City of Tacoma and the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber of Commerce to provide artists – as well as creative and innovative small businesses – with the guidance and space they need to realize their goals. There, she leads the Hilltop Business Support program that aims to secure space and resources for Black-owned businesses in the Hilltop Business District.

Council Member Daniels continues to prioritize uplifting and engaging under-represented members of our community, and ensure their voices are heard across city government. She began community organizing in 2018 to help increase voter participation in the 28th Legislative District and volunteers with the Tacoma Action Collective to advance voter education. In 2020, she was awarded the City of Tacoma’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Emerging Leader Award for her commitment to service, and describes all of her work to date as her “love letter” to Tacoma.