Pullman council fills its open seat

This story has been updated to correct details that were wrong in the original version.

Trymaine Gaither was appointed to fill the open Ward 1 position on the Pullman City Council on Tuesday night.

The council selected Gaither with a unanimous vote after 15 candidates were interviewed.

Gaither moved to Pullman from North Carolina in 2016. In 2019, he began work as a coordinator for WSU, and is now WSU’s special assistant to the Provost for Inclusive Excellence.

He’s a mindfulness practitioner and a trained mindfulness-based emotional and social intelligence coordinator, who uses compassion while connecting with individuals.

Gaither’s focus is on “building bridges” and connecting people in the community to create a more inclusive environment.

“We can grow the sense of belonging in this community,” Gaither said.

The city of Pullman’s council chambers was packed Tuesday night while 15 people were interviewed for the position. The meeting drew quite a crowd; so many came to watch the interview that almost all available seating was taken.

The council held the special meeting to fill the seat that was vacated by Benjamin Francis when he became Pullman’s mayor. No action other than selecting a new council member was taken.

Pullman residents who reside within the ward were qualified to apply. Candidates included Tony Poston, Rob Larsen, Julian Matthews, Holly Greystone, Nicole Drumhiller, Richard Elgar, Behnoosh Armani, Steve Hummel, Bobbie Ryder, Rick Grunewald, Deb McNeil, Shaun Weldon, Connor Wellwo, Dan Maher and Gaither.

Some applicants appeared on the general election ballot in November. Greystone competed with Eric Fejeran for the Ward 6 position; Maher challenged incumbent Ann Parks for the Ward 1 seat; and McNeil campaigned for mayor.

Gaither will need to take the Oath of Office and file paperwork with the Whitman County Auditor’s Office Elections Department as early as today. Additionally, he will be required to fulfill all requirements with the Washington State Public Disclosure Commission and other requisite training. After that, Gaither will occupy the position.

Gaither will hold the seat until the November 2025 election. He or anyone who lives within Ward 1 can file to run for the position by May 2025.