On the campaign trail I’m often asked “Why are you running for City Council and what are your qualifications?” Folks will say a well-rehearsed elevator pitch is the key to success. A simple, easy, consistent way to pick up a vote or two and move on. However, just getting your vote is not my goal, I would rather earn your vote. Earning your vote takes more time, more thought and more commitment. It also risks saying too much, having the reverse effect. That’s OK, though. The role of an elected official is to represent the community; to serve the best one can. How can a voter possibly know the right candidate to represent them with just a few well-rehearsed words equating to no more than a personal sales pitch?

We need leaders who foster an environment of inclusion, set a positive tone and aren’t afraid to push the envelope with creative, fresh perspectives. Issues can always be learned; temperament, style and values cannot. In serving our community I will never waver from what has proven effective professionally, being a strong leader with humility and empathy.

Life is about choices. To run for office on a premise that everything will be magically fixed overnight would be a disservice to the community. First off, not everything is broken. Park City is a pretty fantastic place. However, there are significant opportunities to address our historic challenges and new ones that haven’t even surfaced.

In the Sept. 21 City Council Strategic Planning Retreat, there was discussion that when everything is high priority, we lose the benefit of prioritizing. I could not agree more. This causes confusion and aggravation not just across the community, also with city staff who are assigned competing requests. It is a difficult task, but one I’m well equipped to tackle head on. Conducting business in a manner that maximizes community benefit is critical. We must set realistic expectations assuming hard work, attention to detail and a tireless commitment to success.

For the process to work, we need actionable strategic plans and a culture of passionate team members who take pride in our successes. We also need to be extremely transparent with the community, ask the right questions and proactively solicit participation. Projects in our community far too often achieve isolated micro-results without assessing their risk and impact. Sometimes they are steps in the right direction, other times they interfere with future possibilities for the sake of instant gratification. It doesn’t have to be this way.

My background is rooted in Big 4 professional services firms, with undergraduate and graduate degrees in business administration, as well as being a certified project management professional. I’ve spent 20+ years working as a consultant to global organizations in the utilities industry, a highly regulated world with diverse stakeholders from end consumers to government entities. Some are municipal in nature, such as the Park City Water Division. One does not last long in this business without being effective as a leader and as a contributor. Strategic and capital planning are critical components to success, combined with a pragmatic approach to getting things done. There is no tolerance for rework, wasted effort, project delays, cost overruns, etc. Everything must be done on a path to realize long-term goals through measurable near-term outcomes, delivering value while building a foundation for future success.

I’m excited to apply my professional success in serving on City Council while collaborating with our community, city staff, other elected officials, neighboring jurisdictions, etc. Please reach out via voterubell.com; I look forward to the conversation and ultimately, earning your vote.