Thea Gast served two terms on the Arcata City Council, including two years as mayor. She was also a member of the Humboldt County Democratic Party. She was elected to two terms in the California Senior Legislature as an Assembly Member and advocated for active living as a member of the STRONG Task Force. She served on the Area 1 Agency on Aging Advisory Council for nine years, two of them as president, was elected to two terms in the California Senior Legislature as an Assembly Member, and advocated for active living as a member of the STRONG Task Force.
Outside Arcata City Hall on March 26, Thea Gast, right, posed with six previous Arcata mayors, both present and former, for a group portrait. She served on the Arcata Parks and Recreation Commission, the Arcata/Camoapa Sister City Project, the Arcata Community Recycling Center Board, Citizens for Social Responsibility, and various committees of the Humboldt Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. She died at a young age, may her soul Rest In Peace.