From Gonzaga Prep to city hall, Kali Clark `03 has built a career rooted in public service. As the youngest mayor in Sammamish's history, she credits her Jesuit education with teaching her that leadership begins with listening, discernment, and a commitment to serving others.
Kali Clark has spent over a decade working in federal, state, local, and regional government, including agencies focused on public safety, the environment, and community resilience. Those experiences deepened her belief that government can, and should, be a force for good.
From 2022 to 2025 she served on the city council and then was nominated to serve as mayor of Sammamish, WA – the youngest person to hold the post.
“When I ran for City Council and later served as Mayor, I drew directly on the foundation Prep gave me: to be ‘a person for others,’ she says. “The Jesuit emphasis on discernment and service has shaped every major career decision I have made. There were certainly challenges stepping into office as the youngest to ever be elected and to serve as Mayor in my city, but Prep taught me how to prepare, to listen before leading, and to act with integrity even when the path was not easy.”
After serving as mayor, she earned her law degree and continues her journey as a litigation associate at a law firm in Seattle, where she brings the same sense of advocacy, fairness, and public service to her legal practice.
Her Prep experience had a direct impact on the person she would become. Clark was on the track team, played basketball, and was a member of the physics club, “Which famously never met, except for the yearbook photo.”
What she remembers most, though, is how the environment encouraged young women to think critically, lead confidently, and serve with purpose: “Being a young woman at Prep taught me to see leadership not as authority, but as service. It gave me the confidence to take a seat at the table and, eventually, make room where others could join.”
The Jesuit values of faith, service, and justice have been the throughline of her public service. Whether working in natural disasters, environmental policy, or city leadership, she has tried to focus on the same question that guided her at Prep: “How am I serving others?”
“Being part of a growing community of women in public service reminds me how far we have come, and how essential it is to make space for the next generation,” she says.
Her advice to today’s Bullpups, especially young women? “Don’t wait for permission to lead. Leadership does not require a title; it starts with showing up, listening, and doing the work with humility and purpose. And if you are unsure where to start, look to your past self and the hopes you have for the future; somewhere between the two lies the passion that will drive you forward.”