I have lived in Lee’s Summit with my wonderful wife Hillory for over 20 years.

We’ve raised our two amazing children, Bailey and Grant, in our award-winning schools. I love giving back to this community which has provided so much for us. I’ve spent hundreds of hours each year volunteering and raising money for our local nonprofits. I’ve started numerous successful businesses here, served on the Lee’s Summit School Board, the Lee’s Summit Chamber Board, and as President of the MLS for the Greater Kansas City Board of Realtors.

Lee’s Summit has long been considered a premier regional community in which to live and raise our families, but we also have impressive healthcare institutions, abundant shopping and dining, a vibrant and historic downtown and beyond. To ensure we continue to provide the quality of life and amenities we enjoy, we must focus on the expansion of our employment base with new and/or growing local businesses. We have the credentials and assets to recruit growing commerce, retain our loyal business base, and support home-grown entrepreneurship. We will succeed in this goal by using the city’s proactive business development processes.

With growth comes a responsibility to maintain our governmental services such as infrastructure, road maintenance, and public safety. As has been well documented in city council meetings, all our city employees are underpaid compared to neighboring cities, and we cannot afford to lose quality employees in a time of growth. We need to prioritize and budget fiscally responsible increases in compensation to ensure we keep our citizens safe on our roads and in our businesses, homes, and schools.

All of this will be achieved if we commit to working together in a variety of partnerships; empowering our community organizations, stakeholders, and uniting at the city government level for the greater good. This culture of collaboration will open the door to allow Lee’s Summit to take its rightful place as the premier Greater Kansas City and regional destination for businesses, residents, and visitors.

I ask for your support and vote on April 3rd.