By John Dobberstein, Editor
The Broken Arrow City Council has appointed David Pickel, the owner of an insurance agency and an active volunteer, to fill the Ward 3 seat until next year’s general election.
Pickel was one of nine candidates for the seat vacated by Christi Gillespie, who won her bid last month to replace term-limited Nathan Dahm as a State Senator.
Originally from Poteau, Pickle has lived in Broken Arrow the last 20 years. He opened an insurance agency in Broken Arrow in 2018 under the Brightway umbrella. He was with State Farm for 20 years working in underwriting, analytics and market research.
Pickel has a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master of business administration degree from Northeastern State University in Tahlequah.
“With a deep commitment to our community and a strong belief in the power of local governance, I am eager to bring my experience, dedication, passion, and vision to this role,” Pickel said in a statement. “I am excited about the opportunity to engage with constituents, listen to their concerns, and work together to develop solutions that reflect our shared values and aspirations.”
The City Council appointed Pickel among nine candidates who met the eligibility criteria. They debated whether to appoint someone to fill the seat now leave the seat open until the April election.
Mayor Debra Wimpee said she felt the seat needed to be filled, as there are 8 council meetings before the election.
“I do want to thank everyone who signed up. You put your name out there, and it’s not an easy thing to do,” Ward 4 Councilwoman Lisa Ford said at the Dec. 17 meeting where Pickel was appointed. “It was a hard decision, but in my heart, I always feel like someone needs to know the community to be able to represent the community and it needs to be somebody who is already involved.“
The Council’s vote to appoint Pickel was unanimous.
Pickel has served board positions with the Broken Arrow Public Schools Foundation, Broken Arrow Bands, Legacy Christian Academy, Broken Arrow Rotary Club, and the Broken Arrow Chamber Ambassadors.
He graduated from the Leadership Broken Arrow Class of 2023 and received the 2020 Broken Arrow Chamber of Commerce Volunteer of the Year Award and the 2022 Community Advocate of the Year Award.
Voters in April will decide Pickel will decide who fulfills the remaining two years of the unexpired term. Pickel says he is committed to running
Pickel says he is committed to running to win the seat outright next year.
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