I am delighted to see Nann Worel finally running for mayor of Park City. When we were on the Planning Commission together I encouraged her to run before I chose to. When we were in office together I encouraged her to run when I chose not to run for another term as mayor. Obviously the timing for her now is right and I believe that she is the right choice for the community.

The “why” from my perspective is that first and foremost her ego is in check, she is running to serve the community as she always has. She knows this role is not about her individually, but instead it’s about being a part of an inclusive and transparent team in an objective process of leading the community in a direction that is consistent with our core values. She knows that the best decisions unfold after careful discussions that include the rest of the City Council as well as the broader community. Nann would always acknowledge others’ contributions, she would always have her heart and mind focused on the best interests of the community and she understands the consequences, both short and long term, upon this still-small town. She is not running to fulfill her resume or be celebrated, it’s not in her DNA. She is instead selfless, compassionate, generous and kind. Nann keeps things in perspective and can take criticism because she knows it empowers better decisions, and yet she doesn’t take herself too seriously.

Nann Worel would build better relationships with Summit County government because she understands that we are intrinsically connected. She will focus on the issues that we face together and the commitments we have with all our partners.

Nann would not push personal agendas, like another Olympics, unless it became a broadly supported Park City goal. She understands the impact the last Olympics has had on our accelerated growth, limited infrastructure, traffic/congestion and cost of living. She won’t be enticed into hobnobbing with state officials and Olympic committees because she gets that her responsibility is with this town.

She would embrace the new City Council that looks as if it will likely include new people: Tana Toly with five generations of community connections and a world of understanding of Old Town, and Jeremy Rubell, whose keen mind for numbers and detail I have learned to respect since I met him five years ago.

Nann as a veteran has the added value of her military experience which gives her strength and discipline. As someone who grew up in a context of scarcity she has compassion and demonstrated it in her role as director of People’s Health Clinic. As a planning commissioner she gained a more complete understanding of our laws and policies of land use and as an experienced City Council member she can hit the ground running.

I believe the choice of Nann, Tana and Jeremy will strengthen the administration of Park City to operate in a transparent and collective manner with the other council members. Moving forward we should focus our wide-angle lens upon the welfare of the entire community and not just upon a single individual.