Umbarger WantsTo Build A Sense Of Community In The Village

 by Mark Smiley

New Councilmember: Kim Umbarger was elected to the Glendale City Council in April. She is focussed on building a sense of community and enhancing offerings for families in Glendale.

Kim Umbarger was elected to the Glendale City Council in April 2024. She moved to Glendale in 2017, and originally got involved with the City by being appointed to the Planning Commission. Umbarger has a long history of public service, including serving the US Peace Corps as a health volunteer.

“I decided to run for City Council because I have been in Glendale for awhile and wanted to get involved,” said Umbarger. “I started out on the Planning Commission, and I have been slowly learning how city government works and what Glendale has happening now.”

One of the things that inspired Umbarger to run is that she noticed a trend of rising housing prices which prompted more families to move to Glendale. “I have two kids and I thought this would be a good chance to represent families as well,” said Umbarger. “I know we have other councilmembers who have families as well but I felt like it was something that could be represented more.”

One recent development that has enhanc­ed the family atmosphere of Glendale is the new Glendale Park which features new pickleball courts. “That actually makes the playground feel a lot safer because there is a lot more traffic and people moving,” said Umbarger. “The space is better utilized which makes it better for everybody.”

One of the things that interested Umbar­ger about community is how these communities are utilized. “You want it to be a place to be, somewhere where people meet up and talk, meet a friend there,” said Umbarger. “Pretty soon people will see that and they see it as a place to go meet their friends.”

Building a sense of community is most important to Umbarger as she embarks on her four-year term. “How do we get the community to use this space?” asked Umbarger. “How do we build a sense of community here? The more it feels like a community, safety improves. But it also makes the community more fun to live in. The more people know each other, the more they understand it. That is something that is really important to me. How do we get all of our neighbors to our movie night? How do we get the parks to be used to their full capacity?”

Umbarger wants to capitalize on all the great things the City has to offer. She is excited to work toward making Glendale vibrant and sustainable. She is also impressed with how collaborative the City Council and City leaders are.

“One of the best things about working in Glendale is that everyone works together,” said Umbarger. “No matter where their opinions are, everyone is able to come together and make things happen. I think that is an amazing thing about Glendale.”

Umbarger’s professional experience is con­centrated in sales and marketing opera­tions, and she holds a Master’s degree in Communications from University of Colorado Denver as well as Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Westminster University in Utah.

She is an outdoors gal and comes from a small town in Wyoming. She enjoys reading and is an avid public speaker. You can often find her at events such as Moth Denver.

Umbarger resides in the Village of Glendale with her husband Brian and two children, Abby (5), and Henry (2).