The Kansas City Council campaign season is now in full swing and Midtown Kansas City FINALLY has a fight on its hands.
To wit . . .
LONGTIME COUNCIL DUDE JIM GLOVER NOW HAS A CHALLENGER IN JARED CAMPBELL!!! CAMPBELL'S ANNOUNCEMENT FEATURES A LONG LIST OF CIVIC INVOLVEMENT THAT COULD THREATEN THE NOTORIOUSLY LAZY CAMPAIGNING INCUMBENT!!!
Translation: Jim Glover earned more than 50k votes last time around and didn't buy a single yard sign. Share this fun fact with a City Council hopeful and watch their shoulders slump.
Nevertheless . . .
Here's an impressive civic resume and campaign announcement from a rising star 4th District challenger . . . Without question this guy has an impressive list of local credentials and involvement but will it be enough to unseat Councilman Jim Glover . . . A guy who has spent most of his professional life @ 12th & Oak.
Check it:
Jared Campbell Announces His Candidacy For the Kansas City Council
Insurance Agent and Activist/Volunteer seeks 4th District at-large seat
Kansas City, MO (July 24, 2014) -- Jared Campbell, an insurance agent and activist serving on the boards of numerous local civic groups, today announced his candidacy for the 4th District at-large seat on the Kansas City Council.
Campbell, 34, is a native of the Kansas City area and a graduate of William Jewell College in Liberty.
A producer with Signature Personal Insurance and a former employee of Legal Aid of Western Missouri and the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation, he resides with his wife -- the former Katie Ott, a middle school associate principal -- in the Library District in downtown K.C.
In announcing his candidacy, Campbell said that the core issues of his campaign would
* Creating a long-term vision plan for Kansas City
* Attracting and retaining residents
* Establishing a universal pre-K program
* Improving public transportation
Campbellʼs self-professed “passion to get involved” has led to his participation in a dozen local civic organizations. A list of these groups follows.
Graduating from William Jewell in 2002, Campbell moved into a downtown apartment building where he met his future wife:
“We decided to make a commitment to downtown and Kansas City and purchased our first home, a condo in the Library District. Living through the rebirth of downtown has only deepened our love for this great city.” Campbell was a founding board member of the Downtown Neighborhood Association and has represented his council district on the Neighborhood Tourism and Development Fund.
His experiences with these groups have convinced Campbell that vibrant, safe neighborhoods are the essential element in sustaining and growing the cityʼs population base:
“What will Kansas City look like in 2030? We need to develop a long-term plan that will help guide and shape our city. If elected, I will champion the creation of a plan that will serve as a road map for our future.
“I have seen too many of my friends move out of Kansas City. I want to help City Hall become a vital resource in informing residents of education, business, and housing opportunities. Keeping and attracting residents is essential -- it means a larger tax base, which in turn helps the city provide better services to all citizens.
“I want the city to develop a high-quality pre-k education program to help transform the perception of education in Kansas City. Incremental improvements are good, but we need to change education at the generational level. The best way to do that is by investing in kids as early as possible. A world-class pre-k program will not only benefit kids currently living in Kansas City, but will attract new parents to the city.
“Finally, I am committed to improving public transportation, an issue near and dear to my wife and I as we have only one car. I routinely take public transportation to get around the city and the metro area. While most regions around the country are moving towards greater cooperation between surrounding communities, our transportation systems are becoming more fragmented. I will work to improve transportation options in Kansas City and promote a regional sense of cooperation.”
Jared Campbell - Community Involvement
Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce Centurions Leadership Program:
Class of 2009. Alumni Association board member - current board president
Neighborhood Tourism Development Fund: 2nd District council representative
Kansas City Community Engagement University, 2014 graduate
Kansas City Neighborhood Advisory Council, Central-West Region representative
Citizensʼ Association, member Board of Governors; past member, Board of Directors
Downtown Community Improvement District, board member
Downtown Neighborhood Association, board member
Committee for the Mayorʼs Prayer Breakfast, board member, past president
Board of Trustees of City Trusts, board member
Bloom (to benefit the KC CARE clinic), Planning Committee member
KC Police Department Citizensʼ Police Academy, graduate
St. James United Methodist Church, member
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