Dave Peterson

David Warren Peterson, born February 24, 1943, in the small town of Alta, Iowa, was the second of four children.  He moved with his family to Kitsap County in 1958.  A 1961 honor graduate of South Kitsap High School in Port Orchard, Dave worked his way through college as a farm worker, cannery worker, truck driver, cabinetmaker’s helper, and a storekeeper at Boeing in Seattle.  He received a BA in political science from the University of Washington in 1965.  After graduation he moved to Garden Grove, California to teach seventh grade English and social studies—and to race motorcycles at Ascot Speedway in Gardena, California.

Dave spent 4 years in California as a public school teacher and part-time motorcycle mechanic during which time he earned a Masters Degree from Whittier College.  Dave returned to Kitsap County in 1969 to teach high school in the Central Kitsap School District where he has lived ever since.

While in the CK School District for 29 years, Peterson earned certification as a librarian and school administrator.  He taught government, U.S. History, and anthropology at CK High School.  He was also a librarian at CK High School and served as President of the Central Kitsap Education Association and was on both the state and national education associations’ boards of directors.  For his last 24 years in the CK School District, Dave performed supervisory and administrative duties as Coordinator of Instructional Materials (supervisor of centralized library processing and coordination of the district library program) and Director of the Department of Information Services (district administrator for technology, student information services, and library services).  Dave retired from the CK School District in June 1998 after 33 years of public education service.  After 18 months of retirement, Dave went to work in February 2000 as an Elections Deputy in the Elections Department for the Kitsap County Auditor. On October 1, 2001, the Board of County Commissioners appointed Dave Peterson Kitsap County Clerk.

Dave Peterson is a past president and charter member since 1977 of the Kiwanis Club of Central Kitsap.  He served a one-year term as a citizen member of the Kitsap County Budget Advisory Committee.  Dave is a former long-time member of United Way of Kitsap County, Kitsap Regional Library Foundation, Dispute Resolution Center (DRC) of Kitsap County, Kitsap Legal Services (KLS), Lone Rock Community Club, Central Kitsap Citizens for Quality Education, member of numerous Central Kitsap School District technology, budget, levy, and bond committees, Silverdale Chamber of Commerce, and nine-year member of the Central Kitsap Community Council—the first two years as its initial President where his leadership and organizational skills were instrumental in helping establish the Council.  Dave serves as a Precinct Committee Officer, Executive Board member, and State Committeeman for the Kitsap County Democratic Party.  He presently is a member of the Kitsap League of Women Voters and serves on the boards of the Special Assault Investigations and Victim’s Services (S.A.I.V.S.) and the Kitsap County Historical Society.

An avid reader, sports fan, movie buff, coin collector, gardener, too infrequent trout fisherman, street rod enthusiast (a 1933 Ford Victoria), antique Winchester collector, and community and political activist, Dave presently lives in downtown Bremerton with his wife Carolyn, who is a retired second grade teacher, and their cat, Buttons.