I am running for mayor because I love this community and believe Willmar's future is incredibly bright. Every day I meet people who are investing in our neighborhoods, growing businesses, volunteering, mentoring young people, and working to make our city better. That gives me tremendous optimism about where we are headed. Over the past six years on the City Council, I have worked to bring people together. I believe progress happens when we focus on what unites us, build strong relationships, and work together to solve challenges.I am the best candidate because I care deeply about this community, have a proven record of service, and am committed to doing the work.

Willmar needs more housing options, and we need to work with developers, businesses, and community partners to help make that happen. My second priority will be responsible budgeting. We need to plan ahead, live within our means, and focus on being good stewards of taxpayer dollars. My third priority will be continuing to move Willmar forward.I want to help build a community where businesses can grow and people see a bright future for themselves and their families.

Trust is earned. Residents deserve leaders who are honest about challenges and transparent about decisions. As mayor, I will communicate openly, answer questions directly, and be accessible to residents. I believe accountability means listening, admitting mistakes when they happen, and taking responsibility. City government works best when residents trust that decisions are being made in the best interest of the community, not for political gain or personal interests.

The best ideas do not all come from City Hall. They come from residents who care about their community. That is why I believe it is important to be present, accessible, and engaged in the community. During my time on the City Council, I led efforts to expand opportunities for public participation because I believe residents deserve to be heard. As mayor, I will continue listening, showing up, and having conversations with people across Willmar. I want all residents to know their voice matters.

Our police officers and first responders do an incredible job serving Willmar, often on some of the most challenging days in people's lives. They deserve our respect, support, and gratitude. Public safety is about more than responding when something goes wrong. It is about building relationships before problems happen. I want Willmar to be a community where residents know and trust those who serve them. When people know each other, trust grows and communities become safer.

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I came to Willmar in 1965, attending and graduating from Willmar Community College and had planned to attend the University of Minnesota to get an Agricultural degree. My plans changed that summer as I met my future wife and was promoted to assistant manager at Tradehome Shoes. I later was promoted to store manager and District Supervisor and Glenda and I raised a daughter and a son, who blessed us with grandchildren! I decided to run in order to give something back to the City that has blessed me so much! I served for eight years on the Kandiyohi County Board and on many other boards and committees. That experience matters, but Tradehome’s strong emphasis on Customer Service prepared me well to serve the citizens(Constituents) of Willmar.

My priorities are as follows: Discuss and rebuild the City’s Road Assessment Process. Some of our roads need to be repaired, Currently affordability is a stumbling block. Work on improving coordination between the city, County, and School District to insure that we use our taxpayer funds effectively. Better communication and coordination between the Public Utilities Commission, the Mayor, and the City Council. As of now, the City and the utilities have not been at odds on several projects.

I am fully retired now after 30 years at Tradehome, twenty plus years in the insurance business with Corneil-Elkjer Agency and with Principal Financial Group, and 31 years driving school Bus with Willmar Bus Service. All of those jobs required ethical conduct by myself and others. The Insurance business also required Transparency with our clients and fiscal responsibility with their money. I have the time as a retiree, to pay attention to those details!

My career’s in retail, the insurance business, serving on the County Board and especially with Tradehome, who really had a strong emphasis in customer service have prepared me well for the job as Mayor, particularly as it relates to constituent services. (Listening, communicating, taking action on their needs) I learned to evaluate people, products, and processes and make decisions based on benefits to my customers, clients and constituents!

I will continue to support the police officers who put their lives on the line to protect and serve the residents of our city. It’s my understanding that we are nearly full strength and hopefully we will be able to fully staff our police force. I notice that the Fire Department is working to get more Firefighters on board to protect our community properly and provide rescue when necessary! The Rescue Squad is a very necessary element as well!

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