Dear Editor:
How do I decide who to vote for? My 30 years of experience training managers to recruit and interview focused on determining the best candidate for a job. Key: identify what the job requires, who the person will be working with and for, and what it takes to be highly successful.
The job of Chaffee County commissioner is critical because of the challenges facing us. All studies say affordable housing and protecting our natural resources are priorities. We have poverty, drugs and critical planning needs. An effective commissioner must represent our diverse population by listening and learning from the experience of long-time and new citizens alike. A key requirement is being more than nice; it’s being willing to stand up to people wielding power to benefit a few.
Who will the commissioner work with? Many elected officials across the county have endorsed Kimberly Parker. She is smart and dedicated to understanding the needs of our county. As chair of the Housing Policy Advisory Committee, she has shown great leadership and a much better grasp of the issues than her rival. Question that? Attend a forum and see how candidates respond to tough questions. Determine how much preparation and consideration each has done. An effective commissioner puts in long hours and takes initiative.
Who does a commissioner work for? Kimberly pulled herself up from poverty to found a tech company. She knows first-hand what it is like to face adversity, and she stands up for all, from business owners to those who have not had the benefit of years in a community.
Her business, social service and community service experience demonstrate hard work and collaboration. Our county, like our nation, needs people who work to lessen the divide, not exacerbate it.
Would I vote for her because she is a woman? “No.” Does extensive HR experience suggest that teams are most effective when they have both male and female perspectives? That is an unequivocal “Yes.”
Our job is to “hire” her. Please join me. Vote for the best-qualified candidate. Kimberly Parker will be an outstanding commissioner for Chaffee County.
Jody Bol
Salida
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