Three words that define you?

Determined, Supportive, Ethical

Why are you running for the City Council, and what related experience do you bring to the table that makes you uniquely qualified?

I am running because I believe we have something special here in Sauk Centre. We have a community of people dedicated to educating, protecting and serving their community and I feel like it is my turn to step up and contribute to that. My experience as a business owner and an accountant will be an asset on the Council.

Do you think it is important to have a competitive business climate and how can we improve our competitiveness to make sure private sector businesses can start and grow in our community?

Not only important, but critical to the ongoing health of the community.   I think an important role of the Council is to interact with our business owners and supporting organizations like the Economic Development Authority, Chamber of Commerce, School Board, etc., to ensure that we are attracting, retaining, and supporting the business community.  This includes engaging with our young people to make sure they see Sauk Centre as a place of opportunity and possibility. The Council needs to be more inclusive, forward thinking, and proactive in order to attract and retain talent in our business community.  Sauk Centre is a great place to start and run a business. 

Name the two or three most critical issues you believe the City of Sauk Centre faces and how would you address those issues?

The issue I hear most about is communication. People don’t feel heard by City leadership, and I believe we can do more to address that. I think that goes both ways. The Council meetings are public and the so is the agenda. I believe the Council needs to increase encouragement and engagement and publicity of what the Council is addressing. Perhaps increasing outreach through additional posts, email blasts, newsletters and newspaper columns. If the Council makes an effort to communicate, my hope would be that concerned citizens would then engage with us as City leadership through meeting attendance and feedback.

Other issues I hear about are the lack of certain amenities and the number of open store fronts in town. I believe we need better communication and proactive outreach with the owners of the vacant properties, encouraging entrepreneurship and opportunities for new businesses growth.  This can be addressed, as I stated above, by engagement with and cooperation between the EDA, Chamber, and with our student community. Encouraging entrepreneurship and promoting our town as a great place to live, work, and start a business. As a business owner and accountant, I’m well-equipped to lead these efforts through open dialogue and cooperation.

How would you engage the business community as you weigh your decisions?

I would love to represent the City Council at any or all business discussions or forums that happen in Sauk Centre no matter who is sponsoring or hosting. I would also love to have City sponsored and organized business discussions that include both current and prospective business owners.

And again, let’s encourage our students to pursue their business dreams in Sauk Centre by showing them all we have to offer.

I hope to have your vote and I can’t wait to get started!!

*All candidates were contacted at email addresses and phone numbers listed in public filing records. Questionnaires had word/time limits and are published EXACTLY as submitted. No info is displayed if a candidate didn’t respond. If you would like a copy of the PDF forms that were submitted by the candidate, please submit that request to saukcentrechamber@gmail.com. Thank you.

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