I Am Ready Now
When I was around 14, I was selected “Paperboy of the Year” by the Fremont Tribune The reward was a trip to Lincoln to meet Governor Exon and to attend a Nebraska football game. Part of the tour included the state legislative chambers. While not in session, the chamber seemed alive with the history of our state. Over the years, the more I learned about our unique and great state, the more I knew that I wanted to return to that room.
I ran for this office 15 years ago and thought I was ready. While I was squeaked out in the primary, I have come to believe that the voters somehow intuitively knew that I was not ready. I certainly knew a lot about the law, and even then could have done a good job. Nevertheless, the decade and half of experience both in my profession and family life have done more to prepare me for this role than I could have imagined.
There is nothing more educational than to see yourself in the eyes of your teenage grandchild. Watching Bradley and his brothers grow has helped strip me of enough ego so I can focus on what is important. I no longer believe that my presence in the Unicameral will make some fundamental change to history (oh, the arrogance of youth), nor do I see the role of legislator as a stepping-stone to some higher calling. I do now feel truly ready to do this job.
While I still believe government can and should do great good for its citizens, I now have found that without proper stewardship, it can also do great harm. One of my fundamental beliefs is that the greatest calling for a legislature is to keep the government from doing foolish things. There is still a critical role the state should play in preserving and promoting the health of the economy and economic development, and protecting the citizens. There are serious challenges with taxes, education and economic development that we will be facing in the next four years. We need a representative with the maturity, life experience and abilities to effectively fight for this district.
To be an effective legislator, I believe you need certain skills and traits. Some come with training and education, some are part of one’s natural abilities. Some and probably the most important come from life and experiences. To be an effective catalyst of progress, the legislator must educate, mediate and advocate for the best interest of the constituents, the district represented and for the common good of the state as a whole.
To effectively educate, one must first be knowledgeable and have understanding of the subject. Formal training and education along with a commitment to continued learning and seeking out knowledge and opinions of others is the foundation of a great educator.
My formal education includes a bachelor’s decree with double majors in Political Science and Philosophy from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. I received my Juris Doctorate from Creighton University College of Law.
While building my private practice, I have taught a wide range of classes over the past 20 years, including business law, legal evidence, and criminology. The ability to move disputing parties to a fair resolution is a special skill. The legislative process requires the ability to form a consensus of strong-willed members with agendas of their own. Mediation is the process of helping parties understand their common interest to form a resolution that will be embraced by both parties.
My formal mediation training covered many types of issues. I currently hold the designation of Certified Master Mediator. As a mediator, I have for more than a decade helped individuals and large diverse groups to find solutions to their problems. The ability to advocate successfully requires knowledge of the rules of the game and superior communication skills. I have effectively advocated for my clients and organizations to which I belong to for more than twenty years. I am known for my mastery of the rules of law and parliamentary procedure. For my entire life, I have been a relentless advocate to promote Fremont, Dodge County and Nebraska.
One important lesson I have learned in my many years is:
“CHANGE IS INEVITABLE; PROGRESS IS NOT.”
Some politicians and ‘leaders’ claim that they can create, or in the converse, prevent change. No one can do either. Change will happen whether we want it to or not.
People will be born, and others will die. Crops will be planted, and with luck and hard work, harvested. Homes will be built, and the paint will peel. Everything will change. Change is neither a friend nor an enemy; it is a constant of life.
The challenge is whether we can influence the course of change, move towards progress, and improve the future. With the help of Dodge County in the election and in the four years to follow, I sincerely believe that I can fulfill this role to help guide this state towards not just change, but progress.
