Councilor Hildebrandt was elected to serve a four year term in the 2024 General Election. His term will expire 12/31/2028. He can be reached via email here. 

Name:
Drew Hildebrandt

Position:
City Council President

Length of time in office:
Since January of 2023

How long have you lived in Dayton?
July of 2021

Where were you born?
La Grande, OR

Educational Background:
B.A in Geography through Virginia Tech, Post-Grad certificate in GIS through Virginia Commonwealth University

Career Background:
Wine Business for the last ten years with a focus on Direct to Consumer Management, Operations Management, and Small-Business Finance

What do you love most about Dayton?
Honestly, it’s cliché but there is too much to list. The walkability, especially in the summer months is a great way to decompress from the day, the Dayton Landing for kayaking, the dog park across the river, DCDA Friday music in the summer, all the fantastic parades for holidays year-round, our feeling of true small-town community, etc. We truly love so much about our town.

Do you have a particular area or passion regarding your work on the City Council?
Dayton Landing transferring from county ownership to the city so that we can better manage the space, ongoing infrastructure upgrades, increased funding for our partnership with the Sheriff’s Office, forging a strong bond between City Hall and the Dayton School District, among many others. We have accomplished a lot in the last few years, and I look forward to what challenges and opportunities the coming years will bring.

Who inspires you to be better?
My inspiration, day in and day out, is my daughter. This work that I am enthusiastic to participate in as part of the city council, to help to do my part and grow our community, I do for her to have the best possible life. Her future being bright is what pushes me to be better, in all ways, every day.

What was the last adventure you went on?
Parenthood in all honesty with its hurdles and stressors to navigate daily, but that’s also a cop out answer. Our last travelling adventure was to Austin, Texas, for a wedding. A fantastic trip full of yurt camping, rodeos, and enjoying the scene around Austin. The rodeos were great – my wife’s little sister shows horses and her teaching us about barrel racing, roping competitions, etc. was easily the highlight of the trip.

If you were given 10 million dollars to spend on Dayton, how would you spend it?
Tough question. Realistically, it would depend on what the highest priority was at the time according to the strategic goals that we set each year. If it was at this moment, likely water and sewer infrastructure. Not the most glamorous investment, but an incredibly important one to ensure that the needs of residents are met for water and sewer needs in the decades to come.