Before we can address opportunities for growth in District 5, first we must care for the roots from which we grow. The strength of the family unit has long been recognized as the foundation of our community. We must fortify our foundation-the family. By focusing on our foundation, we can effectively build upon it to revitalize, reenergize, and reimagine District 5.
As a father of 11 children (ages 21 to 1 year old), I know the importance of a strong educational system. As a parent of children in two different District 5 schools, I can see firsthand the successes as well as opportunities for growth. I want to work hand in hand with our school board representatives, city council representatives, and administration in the city and county to ensure that our students, teachers, families, and administrations have a symbiotic connection starting at the foundation. If we can strengthen families through employment, homeownership, physiological and mental wellness, early childhood education, and financial literacy initiatives and resources; families will have the ability and stability to become present and active in their children’s education. After all, as parents, we are our children’s first teachers. By having a strong family support system, educators will be able to focus on educating our most valuable resource - our children.
There is one fail-proof way to bring the brightest and most talented residents to our community, the creation of jobs that pay a livable wage. As commissioner of district 5, I will work on a two-factor plan to do just that. Firstly, I will work with industry leaders to bring employers to our district who offer careers, not just jobs. Not everyone is college-bound; however, a career can provide a pathway to personal growth and development. Secondly, I will create partnerships with our local secondary and higher education systems to ensure that our community has a pool of well-trained employees who are prepared to become valuable members of the workforce and serve as assets to potential employers. This goes right in line with my foundation-centered platform. We know parents with careers raise children who have seen examples of hard work and accomplishment. This will be evident in the classroom and the community. Our children must see success in their personal lives first. I am a firm believer in don't tell me show me.
It is my vision to increase and reimagine homeownership in District 5. It has been proven that homeownership has a direct correlation with safety, job creation, talent retention, generational wealth, and pride. I will strive to build partnerships with developers to increase attainable single-family homes in District 5. I will also work as a mediator between financial institutions and financial education resources to make homeownership a realistic goal for every resident in district 5. We all benefit when people in our community invest back into their community… and homeownership is the most tangible way of investment.
One of my first initiatives as District 5 Commissioner will be revitalizing the Brainerd community in District 5. Sitting conveniently between Downtown and Hamilton Place, Brainerd is and always has been positioned to be the soul of Chattanooga, connecting the business and leisure epicenters of our cities. Once a thriving hub of businesses, leisure, and commerce, the Brainerd of today is a skeleton of its past. We need to entice businesses back. We must address the food desert that has left many residents burdened with traveling miles to get basic necessities. We must work to make this beautifully diverse community of over 10,000 residents safe for our children. We must build back our community ( a forgotten gem) and embrace the burgeoning collective of artists in our beloved city right here in the Soul of Chattanooga, Brainerd.