Zack Pontious would like to officially announce his candidacy for Ridgway Borough Council.

Zack was born and raised here in Ridgway, PA. After graduating from Ridgway Area High School, Zack studied at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania for Undergraduate and then the University of Utah for Graduate school. In addition to Edinboro and Salt Lake City, Zack also lived in New Orleans and Pittsburgh before returning back to Ridgway. 

Zack and his wife Jess (a Pittsburgh native) both work remotely and can live anywhere in the country with their jobs -  and they ultimately decided Ridgway is the best place to be. 

“It was a pretty easy decision for us to move here. The people are wonderful, we have lots of friends and family, and the impact you can have when getting involved with organizations is huge. Moving back has been great and a rewarding experience.”

Since moving back, Zack has made an effort to attend every monthly Borough Council meeting. “The Ridgway Borough Council is an extremely important entity - the decisions and policies made have a large impact on the community members and long term outlook for the town. I would take that responsibility very seriously.” 

“We have some tough challenges here in Ridgway. I want to help build a safe community, I want to support our local and state law enforcement to ensure they have the resources and information they need to do their jobs effectively. I also really believe Ridgway’s best days are still ahead of us. We can do some really amazing things if we work together and get creative.“

Ridgway needs leadership that can create a long term vision to ensure our community not only survives, but thrives. Zack wants to create a community that attracts tourism, business and new residents. He believes Ridgway is truly a wonderful place to live and visit and wants others to know that as well. As a Ridgway Borough Council member, Zack will take the lead to partner with and influence other organizations to make Ridgway a more appealing place to start a business and create jobs. 

“I take pride in my ability to listen to individuals, understand why they are having a specific challenge, and then come up with new and creative solutions to solve them.” 

“I am not interested in national politics and ideologies. I don't think they have any place at our local government level. For our town to succeed, we all need to partner and work together.”

Zack holds board positions with the Heritage Council, Elk County Council on The Arts and the Ridgway Borough Planning Commission. Zack also volunteers with the Tricounty Rails to Trails Association, Ridgway Public Library, Ridgway Borough, Ridgway Police Department, Ridgway Chamber of Commerce, and the Blues & Brews Music Festival (2015-2019)

Zack encourages you to visit his website, ZackForCouncil.com to submit any questions and voice concerns you have for an upcoming virtual Q&A that will be posted on April 20th “I really appreciate everyone's consideration when voting. It's an important choice. I would encourage those that do not see me on their ballot for the May primary to write my name in if they like my message and the work I am doing.”