2020 Election: Gulfport Voters To Choose New Council Member

GULFPORT, FL — Gulfport voters will have a chance to elect a new Ward 1 city council member Tuesday.

Incumbent Dan Liedtke is being challenged by April Thanos for the seat.

Liedtke was elected to city council in March 2012 and was re-elected in 2014, 2016 and 2018.

Prior to serving on the council, he served as president of the Kipps Colony Estates Homeowners Association (2008-2012) and was an active member of the PYCC Master Association.

After taking office, he has represented the city on a variety of boards at the state and federal levels.

He currently serves on the Florida League of Cities Transportation and Intergovernmental Relations Policy Committee.

In 2017 he served on the National League of Cities Information Technology and Communications Federal Advocacy Committee where he was an advocate for expanding broadband while maintaining local controls.

Liedtke's professional career includes serving as president of DRL Consulting Inc. since 2001. Working as an I.T. professional focused on healthcare and government systems, Liedtke has helped many companies implement and upgrade their business applications to the latest technologies on the market.

His past public sector clients include the University of Wisconsin, Department of Defense, Hillsborough County Public Schools, Fairfax County Public Schools, CAO – U.S. House of Representatives and Cumberland County, Pennsylvania.

Liedtke and his wife Michelle have called Gulfport home since 2003.

April Thanos said she moved to Gulfport for the same reasons her neighbors did.

"This is an inclusive, welcoming, walkable, charming town," she said.

Thanos spent the majority of her professional career working for the world’s largest shipping company in Seattle and overseas. She managed multi-million dollar budgets and supervised employees, all while solving problems and improving efficiency.

During her career, she also worked for the Greater Seattle Business Association, the largest LGBTQ and allied chamber of commerce in the United States, helping market the LGBTQ and small business community.

She plans to bring that experience promoting diversity and inclusion to Gulfport. She said she wants to tackle the issues residents are concerned about including infrastructure, parking, sewage, zoning, affordable housing and maintaining a healthy and safe environment.

She said she wants more town hall meetings to discuss the problems and issues in Gulfport to provide greater transparency and allow all residents to have input.

"We need another woman’s voice on the council to add balance and diversity," she said.

Since relocating to Gulfport, Thanos has worked with the Sierra Club to improve Gulfport’s use of sustainable and renewable energy.

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