57-year-old Laura Dever aims to encourage public participation and build the city's communication across all platforms as Polson mayor.  

Dever has lived in Montana for the last 30 years. Her family is from Cleveland, Ohio, but she worked in Glacier National Park and shortly after met her husband, Chad. She has lived in the Polson area for five years and before that she was in Missoula County and in Great Falls.  

She has a son who attended Montana State University and currently works in Missoula. Dever has been a licensed massage therapist for 22 years.  

Dever actively serves on several community, government and non-profit organizations, including, Polson Rotary Club member and president, Polson Rotary Interact Club advisor and many others.  

Since 2021 she has been the Polson City Commissioner for Ward 2. And in Great Falls she was the Neighborhood Council 1 representative in 2019. 

“Local government isn't easy, but it's so important to manage essential local services and planning as we invest in safety, infrastructure and maintenance,” Dever stated.  

Dever explained it’s important to her to invest and give back to the community. She believes it is important to work with county, tribal and state governments, as well as local businesses and other stakeholder agencies.  

Dever stated the two biggest issues facing Polson are the condition of the streets and affordable housing. She acknowledges that the city has been able to use American Rescue Plan Act funding of 2021 to take on several projects but stated that government funding continues to be a challenge.  

To work on the issue of affordable housing, she explained the city might be able to consult with organizations to explore other housing approaches. Dever hopes to make changes to the city’s communication on all platforms and push public involvement.  

“I look forward to increasing my involvement and working to maintain Polson's unique character, even as we grow,” Dever stated. “Doing the work, communicating, and making informed decisions for the best long-term outcomes and for the greater good: that's the job. Let's do it!”