Former Kenai Borough Assembly Member and President, Bill Popp, has filed to run for Mayor of the Municipality of Anchorage.
Popp is not a newcomer to municipal government. From 1996 to 2002 he was elected three times to the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly, and in 2000 was elected Assembly President by his fellow assembly members.
From 2002 – 2007, he served as the oil and gas liaison and special assistant to two KPB Mayors. In 2007 Popp returned to his hometown of Anchorage to become President and CEO of the Anchorage Economic Development Corporation.
In this capacity, he has worked tirelessly to improve the business vitality of Anchorage, increase local-grown skilled labor, reverse the outmigration of our families, and establish Anchorage as a destination of choice.
Popp has served for more than 16 years at the helm of the AEDC where he has earned a reputation as a leader who consistently inspires and shows the way for Anchorage to grow a more prosperous, sustainable, and diverse economy.
Popp says he is running to improve Anchorage’s business and public service vitality;
“I have spent the past 16 years, advocating for Anchorage and have the connections to bring investment, new ideas, and a positive difference to our city. Anchorage is still a great city to live, work and play, however, it has become stagnant, and we need to Recapture Our Vision of who we are and what we can be, first to our own people, and then to the world. The Anchorage workforce is evaporating, our businesses are struggling, young people are leaving, the homeless population is not being served or managed well, and our public services are in crisis. Our city will begin to heal when we have actual conversations with each other, learn from one another, rebuild trust, and unite around our common good. I believe the path forward is not partisan, we ALL are Anchorage! I invite you to join me on this journey to Recapture Our Vision.”
The military moved Popp’s family to Anchorage in January 1968 where his father served on Elmendorf Air Force Base. Popp attended East Anchorage High School, during this time he met Service high school student Nicole, now his wife of 44 years.
Together they have two children and two grandchildren.
