Among the critical strengths I bring to the Council is the ability to listen, communicate and develop consensus. Most of the tougher issues facing the Council involve working with other branches of government, including the Park District, the District 203 and 204 Boards of Education, the Townships of Lisle, Naperville and Wheatland, the Counties of DuPage and Will, and the State of Illinois, particularly its Department of Transportation. Many issues also involve working with institutions like North Central College and Edward Hospital, with community organizations like the Naperville Area Homeowners Confederation, the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Naperville Alliance, and with civic organizations like Rotary and the Jaycees.

Communicating means listening first and then identifying common ground. Since becoming a candidate, I’ve had the privilege of meeting one-on-one with many community leaders and elected officials from coordinate branches of local government. Without exception, they all had concrete ideas for improving the way the City could work with them to deliver better services to residents. Many also wondered why other Councilmen and candidates hadn’t asked for their views. As one who reaches out to diverse groups of people, I’m confident that residents will win when organizations team together for the common good.