“If you really want to do something, you’ll find a way. If you don’t, you’ll find an excuse.”
-Jim Rohn, Motivational Speaker
I love Worthington!
Worthington, and central Ohio as a region, are about to undertake the most change seen in the region since the 1950s. We need to prepare Worthington for the coming changes and strengthen our community to move forward and dream big. We need to put our priorities, as outlined in our Vision Plan, into action and DO what our community has asked its leaders to do.
I want to do that by focusing on these priorities:
Goal-oriented Government
As a 15 year public servant, I know all too well how our citizens’ goals can fall to the wayside with the pressures of diverse groups and conflicting interests cloud the way forward. It is sometimes difficult to see the forest from the trees!
But it is my day-to-day experience with exactly these issues, and the city’s good work with the Vision Plan, that will help us move forward as a community!
By centering the Vision Plan (summary/full report) as our guiding document and using my experience in managing public-private partnerships, I believe we can bring clarity and consistency to our existing processes while ensuring we strive towards achieving our goals. This will provide our community with transparent, accountable guidance for what we as a community expect moving forward. It will also ensure future Councils - by having a plan and a process to accomplish said plan - will continue to improve upon our City. I hope to help Worthington’s citizens and community work together to implement a shared vision we have for our future. So we can have a better tomorrow, together!
Community
I believe Worthington has the strongest community in central Ohio, and our city is better and stronger when we support that community.
Many people are part of this community: those who live here; those who work here; and those who play here. Ensuring all three of these groups’ needs are met is extremely important and integral in our future and growth. I cannot imagine Worthington without the service industry workers who live in Columbus, ensuring we are served delicious food and drink in Old Worthington. We can thank our local businesses whose employees come from places as far as Morrow County for bringing in revenue that allows us to keep our roads clear when it snows. And of course, our involved, passionate residents keep our city humming via their extensive volunteer work.
I will work with all of the people who are part of our Worthington community to ensure the city is meeting their diverse needs.
Progress
Worthington is a wonderful city. But being one of the best isn’t a permanent position – it requires continuous work. I believe Worthington has sat on its laurels too long, riding on previous successes, and that we are losing our “edge.” As our Vision Plan (summary/full report) notes, “Worthington’s Economy is Balanced and Resilient” and we need to ensure our business community has the tools they need to succeed, in addition to support from our city. I believe by engaging this business community and having down-to-earth, honest discussions about shared goals, we can accomplish more than we thought possible.
Public-private partnerships can help us build housing, promote environmental sustainability and accessibility, and ensure our community is live/work/play friendly, all while guaranteeing Worthington’s continued fiscal sustainability via a strong tax base.
We can accomplish the goals of our Vision Plan for a better tomorrow, together, and as the only candidate whose entire working life has been fostering public-private partnerships, I will bring that expertise to our city.
