During the election season I take a few minutes each Monday to share my heart and thoughts with voters on social media. The series is called #MayorRaceMonday where I briefly spotlight an area of Helena where I've served, see strengths, or the need for change. I am extremely open, candid, and honest. If you have questions about me or my thoughts please do not ever hesitate to reach out to me. Below is the collective area for all of the #MayorRaceMonday posts.
August 10, 2020 - Small Business
Small businesses play a vital role in Helena. They provide necessities and one of a kind items and services that bring uniqueness to our city. People often say we have that small town feel which I believe is a result of the culture we promote and the small businesses that serve us. I have supported our small businesses and owners for years, and I appreciate the amount of support I am now receiving from many of them in this journey.
As your Mayor, I will work hard to make sure small businesses thrive in Helena.
As your Mayor, I will work hard to make sure small businesses thrive in Helena.
- I will partner with the Helena Business Association to make sure all small business owners’ voices are heard.
- I plan to actively promote the small businesses of Helena with the constant encouragement of shopping local.
- I will look into ways that the city can assist up and coming small businesses with mentorships to help them get established, whether it is a brick and mortar or virtual location.
August 3, 2020 - Transparency and Feedback
Transparency and feedback comes best in the form of knowledge. It is my goal, as Mayor, to have transparency within the city that will give every resident a sense of ownership, pride, and involvement. Through my years in business I quickly learned that I must always surround myself with people that are experts in an area as well as people that will think differently than I do. To get the best results in anything I do, I rely on this type of feedback and challenges.
- I will work to make the public city meetings live online. People want to be informed of the happenings and decisions made in Helena, but it can be at times tough to make it to a meeting. Our daily lives have changed over the last few months and it is my job to make it as easy as possible for people to be included.
- Community feedback is key. Anytime a problem arises I will include soliciting feedback on how to be solve the problem at hand. Our ways will at times differ and that is good. Healthy dialogue will allow us all to come to the best solution.
- I will involve residents with a passion or expertise to guide openness and discussions on various topics and issues. We are blessed, in Helena, with an abundance of residents who want to give back to the community. We need to leverage that to have the best results possible and help promote a sense of community and involvement.
July 27, 2020 - Question and Answers
I have been asked many questions over the last couple of months as I've campaigned to be your Mayor in Helena. Some questions have been asked multiple times, so I created a centralized location to give answers. It is my hope that this information will provide you an understanding of where I come from and what I stand for. If you have questions, please let me know. I always have an open door.
Are you a politician and if you win will this just be a step to another office?
My defining traits include I am a dad, a husband, and a business leader. According to Merriam-Webster a politician is "a person experienced in the art or science of government especially one actively engaged in conducting the business of a government." Based on that definition I am the only candidate for Mayor with the experience of our local government and am actively engaged in the business of Helena government.
My passion and heart is Helena and I have no intentions of seeking any other role outside of this community. The role of Mayor is not a steppingstone for me and will never be treated as such. I am committed to Helena and making it the best it can be for years to come.
To read more answers to questions that have been asked CLICK HERE.
Are you a politician and if you win will this just be a step to another office?
My defining traits include I am a dad, a husband, and a business leader. According to Merriam-Webster a politician is "a person experienced in the art or science of government especially one actively engaged in conducting the business of a government." Based on that definition I am the only candidate for Mayor with the experience of our local government and am actively engaged in the business of Helena government.
My passion and heart is Helena and I have no intentions of seeking any other role outside of this community. The role of Mayor is not a steppingstone for me and will never be treated as such. I am committed to Helena and making it the best it can be for years to come.
To read more answers to questions that have been asked CLICK HERE.
July 20, 2020 - Work Experience
Being a Mayor should require someone to have a solid background in running a large business. Many people don't know that Helena is a Council led government. That means the Mayor runs the day to day operations and oversees the that the budget stays on target.
I am the candidate qualified to do that with the experience I have gained through both education and work experience. For the past 13 years, I have been employed with one of the nations top bank where I have been asked to do several leadership roles. I have managed branches, designed user systems, been a project manager, and most recently I am over the eSignature program from the bank. When someone asks me what I do at the bank I tell them, but it tends to come across as a foreign language. So here is a little bit of what I do currently on a daily basis with work.
I am the candidate qualified to do that with the experience I have gained through both education and work experience. For the past 13 years, I have been employed with one of the nations top bank where I have been asked to do several leadership roles. I have managed branches, designed user systems, been a project manager, and most recently I am over the eSignature program from the bank. When someone asks me what I do at the bank I tell them, but it tends to come across as a foreign language. So here is a little bit of what I do currently on a daily basis with work.
- Manage a multimillion dollar budget
- Manage large teams and projects
- Develop roadmaps for usage and implementations
- Source new business opportunities
- Determine and document new processes that include efficiency gains throughout the organization
- Develop and monitor key performance indicators and mitigate risks both proactively and reactively
July 13, 2020 - Community Involvement
Saying you are involved in the community versus being involved in the community are vastly different. I want to take the opportunity to show some of my involvement of volunteering in the community and playing a role and not just being on a roll.
- Helena City Council, Place 2 (2019 - Present)
- Council Liaison for Helena Police Department (2019 - Present)
- Council Liaison for Administration (2019 - Present)
- Alabama League of Municipalities Committee on Transportation, Public Safety and Communications (2020 - Present)
- Alabama League of Municipalities Committee on Community and Economic Development (2020 - Present)
- Helena Beautification Board, Vice-Chairman (2015 - Present)
- HES PTO Board, Box Tops Coordinator (2015 - 2016)
- HES PTO Board, Secretary (2016 - 2017)
- HIS PTO Board, Food For Thought Coordinator (2017 - 2018)
- HIS PTO Board, Treasurer (2018 - 2020)
- Helena EarthKind Rose Trial, Curator (2017 - Present)
- Helena Christmas Tree Lighting, Co-Coordinator (2017 - Present)
- Helena Soccer Board (2017 - Present)
- Youth Soccer Coach (2016 - Present)
- Riverchase Business Association, Board of Directors (2014 - Present)
July 6, 2020 - Safety
Helena has had the honor and distinction of being named one of the safest places year after year and we need to continue to make adjustments to remain that way.
- Mental health has to be given more attention. I plan to equip our police officers with additional training and resources for mental health issues. Teaching them how to address mental health situations giving officers added expertise in handling all issues as they arise.
- I plan to add more police resources to our team to better assist in handling the over 2,600 calls for service, a month, they receive. Our police is understaffed by 10-12 officers based on FBI statistics and as Helena grows so should our resources to give the best service.
- I will review our fire and medic staff levels. I plan to bring in additional personnel to always stay within National Fire Code for having enough firefighters to all of the 120+ calls for service they receive each month.
- I will review the current pay for first responders in Helena to make sure we are doing accurate step ups in pay. We must retain our top talent and reward these men and women for the job they do, as it compares to our peer municipalities.
June 29, 2020 - Schools
One of our biggest strengths in Helena is our schools. Many parents move here specifically because it’s a great place to raise their family. As a parent, I’ve seen the amazing work happening daily in our schools through my time volunteering on our PTO Boards. I’ve served in various positions like secretary, treasurer, and Box Tops Coordinator. If elected as Mayor, I will focus on coming alongside Helena area schools with the resources and support they need. The teachers and staff truly invest in our children and we need to invest in them as a community.
- I plan to maintain an ongoing dialogue with our principals and Shelby County Schools administrators to facilitate expansions needed as our children fill the current classrooms.
- Extracurricular activities through our schools provide an opportunity for our kids to explore and be successful in their passions. Involvement in clubs and organizations teaches our kids life skills they need as they move into adulthood. I will work with our schools to provide resources in these areas.
- Athletics bring communities together. I will support our athletic programs with the resources they need to build upon current successes.
- The current one cent fund on sales tax has been a great tool for covering bond payments and other school related costs. If elected as Mayor, I will encourage allocation of additional funds for our schools and athletic/arts programs.
June 22, 2020 - Infrastructure
This has been quite the topic of late so here is where I stand on my top 4 items:
- Most people are aware that many of the roads are County or State roadways where they hold the vast control. That does not mean that our voice should not be heard…. over and over. I am going to continue being that advocate for Helena day and night to those that hold the purse strings. We must financially ready as a city to provide our fair share and we have been extremely blessed over the last several years to put in good situations.
- Yes, the city has a Comprehensive Plan that is listed as the 2035 Plan. This plan was updated in 2003, 2011, and 2016. Many things have changed in our great city since this document was originally written or even updated. I intend to have a new Comprehensive Plan created that takes into account all of the great strides our town has made over the last few years, but also is forward thinking in where we need to go in the future as it relates to development and infrastructure. We need to be able to be guided to make decisions in a way that is not a benefit for us today but will also be a benefit for us years down the road.
- I plan to revitalize the Economic Development Committee as a City Council appointed board. This committee will be comprised of residents that are experts in this area to pursue the city needs in all our best interests. As your city leader I understand the importance of leveraging subject matter experts when making decisions around any future development of our city.
- I plan to review and look for opportunities to enhance our planning and zoning guidelines to insure that we as a city are ready for what the future throws at us.
