Bainbridge Island City Councilmember and deputy mayor Jon Quitslund will be retiring from public service at the end of the year, with his last council meeting scheduled in December.

Quitslund was first elected to council in 2021 for a four-year term after serving nine years on the Planning Commission. He grew up on BI and graduated from Bainbridge High School in 1957. He graduated from Reed College in 1961 before later learning a Ph.D. in English Literature from Princeton. He taught at George Washington University from 1964 to 2000 before retiring on the island.

Quitslund described BI as underpopulated in the 1950s and estimates his 1957 graduating class had about 50 students.“There weren’t barriers, fences and property lines very well defined, so it was just a wonderful outdoor world,” he said.

His entry into public service included being a member of the 2006 “2025 Growth Advisory Committee,” before later serving on the Planning Commission. Quitslund said one of his most cherished accomplishments as a planning commission member is the 2016 Comprehensive Plan Update, which council adopted in February 2017.

“Of course, I stayed with the process beyond that time, wanting to see the 2016 comprehensive plan update fully implemented,” he said.

Quitslund said the first responsibility of councilmembers is building trust with their constituents and being able to explain actions of the council. At times, Quitlund said he feels the council has fallen short of this responsibility. “We need to explain why we’re doing what we’re doing, and it’s hard to do,” he said.

He added, “having good rapport with the city manager is crucial. Whether you agree with the city manager or not, in every detail is not so important, but understanding a way of doing business that requires collaboration and good communication, that’s crucial.”

Following his retirement from council, Quitslund said he has a full plate between spending time with family and his intention of staying engaged with the BI community.

“Really, I’m a born volunteer. My dad set that example, and my mom as well. And this is a community that runs on volunteer energy. I think the best parts of a community, the essential parts, are what people do for love and not for money,” Quitslund said.