What Makes a Good Mayor?
Citizens want a leader who cares about their needs more than politics
This May, citizens of the city of Dallas will have an opportunity to choose the best candidate to lead their City. If you ask the citizens what they would like to see in a new mayor, they might tell you they want someone with a genuine servant’s heart who cares about their needs more than politics. Someone who is smart, works well with others, and has proven leadership skills. Other voters might be partial to the specific responsibilities of the job – dealing with legislation, community involvement, recruiting businesses, meeting with citizens, and handling the budget. One thing citizens don’t want is a person who comes to their neighborhoods, visiting their restaurants and churches during the campaign and then never sees them again.
The question about what makes a good mayor was posed and here’s what some people had to say about it:
Alana McClain-Etheridge: “We need someone who mirrors the people of Dallas”.
Anas Toochukwu Elochukwu: “A good mayor is one who always remembers he has been elected to serve the interest of his people”.
Diana Broomfield “I think that to be a good mayor at minimum, the mayor should stay connected to the people they are serving”.
Mr. Edward Okpa, Principal of The Okpa Company, has put in his bid for mayor and has a plan to serve the people of Dallas while improving the city through his Dallas Economic Empowerment Plan (DEEP) in which he addresses specific issues, including, Public Safety, Budget, New Jobs, Neighborhood Revitalization, International Trade & Education. He has facts and figures for each area of the city that needs improvement and there are various people who are willing to invest billions of dollars to help him.
Mr. Okpa’s education and life experiences show that he has a clear understanding of people, economics, business management, and government, and he is someone who clearly addresses big issues head on. He has the connections and the know how to bring about much needed improvement for all citizens of the city of Dallas, not just for those in a specific area of the city.
Mr. Okpa studied Real Estate Management in Nigeria. He graduated from the Harvard University Graduate Real Estate Design school in 2006. Through his company, he has been appraising and brokering commercial real estate, and consulting on international trade for many years.
In addition to his business experience, his community service includes raising more than $1 million for Park South YMCA in 1998. He is a member of the Dallas County Appraisal Review Board and Vice Chair of one of Dallas’ oldest chambers of commerce. He attended several trade missions with Mayor Ron Kirk of Dallas, now US Trade Representative in President Obama administration. He serves on the Dallas Development Fund board. He is highly involved in international business development. He participated in an 8-person Leadership Mission to Oman sponsored by World Affairs Councils of America and was appointed Investment and Export Promotion Representative for US/Texas by OCIPED – a government agency of Sultanate of Oman – 2009. He is currently working with them to increase business to Texas based companies.
Like the United States of America, Dallas is home to a diverse community. The citizens and candidates are diverse- from poor to wealthy, to various cultures and ethnicities. In the words of Edward Okpa, “I have an unconventional PhD, which stands for passion, hard work, and dedication. I can relate to all walks of life and I believe that when we promote the diversity in our heritage, it enhances our collective existence.”
Vote #4, if you believe in servant leadership, want a fresh approach to how the government is run, and would like to support Edward Okpa in his bid for mayor of the city of Dallas. For more information, please visit the website at www.okpaformayor.com, call the campaign office at 214.800.2334, or email info@okpaformayor.com.
Additionally, if you would like to give an in-kind or monetary donation, please be aware that the maximum individual contribution is $5000. Political Action Committees may contribute up to $10000.
