Hello Durango, longtime listener, first time candidate. I am incredibly excited to be running in this year’s election for City Council. The only thing I’m more excited about than running is to be in office and supporting our vision for Durango.
I’ve had the fortune to call this great place home since early 2005 and have been building myself in this community since. I worked with PEAK Food & Beverage for the past 17 years, of which the last 10 were managing El Moro Spirits & Tavern. Understanding how to operate a business in Durango and the unique challenges it presented gives me perspective on the economic landscape of our community.
Moreover, working within the day-to-day operations of a business has also given me context on the daily challenges to our workforce. Too often we speak only in absolutes to create binary choices on issues. I believe that we can be both pro-business in Durango, and be compassionate with understanding the headwinds our workforce faces and how to address them. By understanding both sides and the economic output of each, I believe I can apply that skillset to Council.
To me, there is no greater value than hospitality. If you’ve ever come into a place I have worked, you know that you are always made to feel welcome. Not just by me, but by everyone that works there.
Creating and committing to a positive workplace culture is a foundational part of hospitality. How we engage and make one another feel is not an earth-shattering idea, but instilling those values to our community should be something we all strive for. Danny Meyer, author of “Setting the Table,” equates hospitality to two prepositions: “to” and “for.” You’re either doing something “for” someone or “to” someone. My principles of hospitality do not change just because I insert myself into another sector.
I intend to continue to do my best for my community through engagement, compassion and application of experience. If elected, I will strive to be a voice of reason, a proponent of our workforce and their family’s needs, and prosperity for our business community.
I appreciate you all getting out there and voting in this election, and greatly look forward to serving Durango to create a legacy we’re all proud of in the decades to come.
