Makanda Township: COMMUNITY FORWARD

In 1991, I was single, no children, and fresh out of Dental School. I relocated my life from Chicago to open a corporate dental practice in Carbondale, Illinois. I was 27 years old, tired of city life, and yearning to find MY place.....well I did.....it was Southern Illinois.  In 1994, I bought a home and some land in Makanda, Illinois, and have happily and peacefully lived here ever since.

I left the corporate practice, after 7 years,  and opened my own private practice in Chester, IL.  I sold that practice 8 years ago, after 20 successful years, and am now proudly the Dental Director at Rural Health, Inc. in Anna, IL.

Over the years, I built a life in Makanda. My wife Becky and I lead a quiet life on our little hobby farm.

I have two wonderful children, both graduates of Unity Point and CCHS. Cultivating family life in Makanda has been very serving. I have raised two balanced, happy, and hard-working daughters who have matured to become good, just, contributing citizens.

In our free time, we enjoy hiking the trails of southern Illinois, golf, and poker. It is not uncommon to find us enjoying ice cream on the Makanda boardwalk on any given weekend.

If elected Makanda Township Supervisor, I will bring an open mind to governing our township, with the goal of offering transparency and accountability so the constituents of the township understand how their tax dollars are being allocated. I will work diligently to keep our township safe and financially sound in the following ways:

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1. I will promote a positive culture in governing our township.  It is not us vs. them; it is all of us in this together. Working with Gary Heern, a long time fire department volunteer, to hire a Fire Administrator enabled me to understand the Fire Department needs and concerns. I also believe we need welcoming, family-friendly social events to celebrate our achievements.

2. A commitment to accountability and transparency regarding Township funds by ensuring that detailed financial records are reviewed by multiple officers every month as well as securing monthly, open book reporting of financial transactions. Also explore the acquisition of financial software, so that all business such as payroll, bills, and budgets can be easily tracked and monitored with complete transparency.

3. I will continue the centralization of township records by supporting the acquisition of a dedicated office space with computers, printers, and scanners for conducting township business. Such a space would provide ease of access to any community member that might have business to conduct with the township.

4. Pursue the adoption of a Conflict of Interest policy for Makanda Township.

5. Improve the quality of Township meetings by:

   • Promoting orderly, respectful behavior during Township meetings.

   • Immediately improve quality of communication by purchasing proper AV equipment and tech support so that all who speak can be heard by the board and the community members.

   • Appoint a parliamentarian to ensure that the agreed upon Rules of Procedure are followed.

6. Our committees have acquired grants designed to improve the lives of our residents. Unused Connect Humanity grant money, initially obtained to promote broadband delivery to the township, was donated to our local schools. A grant was secured to help the Fire Department obtain firefighter protective equipment. I will continue the search for grants with the help of our board’s committees.