Biography

My experience with Burley City Council began nearly 25 years ago. I attended council meetings when I worked for a local television station as a news anchor, producer and reporter. In the years following I served in other civic capacities including Burley Centennial Committee, Storybook Park Public Relations Chair, the election committee to form the Oregon Trail Recreation District, and as a participant in Strategic Planning Meetings for the City of Burley. I also served as Burley Area Action Team member, and later as president, where I assisted the team in qualifying Burley as an Idaho Gem community. 

Both my grandparents and parents are from Burley. After my parents completed their advanced education and professional training they returned to Burley with their family. I was a junior in high school and became a 1989 Burley High School graduate. I earned both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Communications from BYU. Presently I work as an adjunct professor for two Idaho colleges, teaching communications and sociology. My husband, Matt, and I chose to raise our four children in Burley with confidence in our schools and the local community.

When I was a child, my family lived in Mexico for three years. I attended elementary school speaking Spanish. Because of that experience and others, I have some understanding for those who want to feel included and accepted in a community. I aim to be part of the efforts to work for and fulfill the mission of maintaining Burley as a great community for families and businesses. From the time I would visit my grandparents in Burley to when I returned to raise my family in Burley, I have seen a lot of changes and growth. As we look forward, I aim to respect the past and protect our future.

It is with humility that I hope to serve on the council.  I recognize it is an honor to be an elected city council member and call Burley, Idaho my hometown.

-Kimberli Petersen Seely