Originally published on October 06, 2025.
Eldon Gibb is director of community development for Utah’s fast-growing Washington City and maintains “it is so fun being involved with projects that start from a napkin idea, materialize into construction drawings and then receive a certificate of occupancy. I enjoy being involved with the community helping to facilitate growth in an effort to increase the community’s quality of life.”
According to city leaders, Eldon is known for his collaborative leadership style and deep understanding of the municipal development process. He prepared for this position by earning a 2017 Master of Public Administration degree from SUU, which he completed entirely online, an avenue that worked well with his previous occupation in construction management for a local homebuilder company.
Raised in Pleasant Grove, Utah, Eldon grew up playing sports and enjoying the outdoors, and he and his wife Maren, an RN, have three children, including son Kyler, a civil engineering major here.
This position plays a vital role in Washington City's ongoing efforts to expand access to attainable housing and attract diverse commercial development that enhances local services and amenities. Eldon previously was a general contractor for his own firm in Lehi, before relocating to southern Utah, a region that he says his family truly loves. He earned a degree in criminology at what is now Utah Tech University and served there as a police sergeant before returning to the construction field.
His SUU education taught him that “if you set your mind to something, you can do anything with determination, dedication and perseverance,” he says, and adds that among the chief benefits gained here is that “I learned to read and write better.”
He adds that the University “is a great school doing great things…go T-Birds!”
