Engagement
Communities are most vibrant when they’re shaped by their people. And government works best when it’s run by the people. Ensuring residents can access public officials and ensuring public officials can easily take in representative public input is a great challenge of a democracy. Grand Forks can lead in this area. Let’s build a culture of accessibility and engagement from the Mayor on down.
Here’s a way to start:
Public Engagement Center
Let’s reimagine the City’s great Public Info Center as a full-fledged Public Engagement Center, a place that ensures residents, businesses, and workers not only get accurate information but have the means to share input.
One Stop Shop to Make Things Happen
Want to change a policy? Open a business? Host an event? Start a nonprofit? When government can streamline processes, the community can benefit from the creative energy of its people.
Participatory Budgeting
Budgets both financed by and designed for the people should be shaped by the people. Let’s get more stakeholders participating in the City Budget process. It’s our money--we should get more of a say in how it gets spent.
Empowering Grand Forks to Lead Itself
Good leadership comes from broad and deep connections across a community. It is countless long nights and difficult conversations, finding common ground and building relationships. It’s being flexible and learning what a community wants and needs by listening to and working within that community over the course of years. And it’s enabling others to reach their potential.
It’s this hard work of connecting, building structures on the ground, and helping others accomplish their goals that I’ve been doing in Grand Forks for decades — at UND, with the City, in the nonprofit community, or for my family.
In those years I’ve learned that the best leadership is not about telling people what to do or letting others do the heavy lifting, but about thoughtful Engagement, Connections, and Strategic Action with a team.
1
Number of days it will take me to open the Mayor’s Office up to the public and to start shadowing you at your place of work.
17
Years I sent UND students out to learn from and contribute to the community.
1
Nonprofits I’ve founded with a $140K annual budget and multiple employees.
22
Years I have been living and problem-solving in GF.
50
local organizations I have partnered with in many roles.
Together, let’s make Grand Forks known as a place where every person has the opportunity to make things happen.
If you’re interested in helping us be more:
