Northeast News
March 17, 2011

In case you’re still deciding who to vote for or simply want more information, Northeast News has compiled the bios and key issues of each city council candidate running for the 1st, 3rd and 4th Districts. Check them out below.

1st District:
Dick Davis
Dick Davis is a graduate of the University of Arkansas Little Rock and served four years in the United States Air Force, receiving an honorable discharge. For 50 years, he’s been married to his wife, Virginia, and together they have three children and five grandchildren.

For nearly five decades, Davis has worked for public organizations in Kansas City. For 23 years, Davis served as the general manager of the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA). During that time, he was awarded the L.P. Cookingham Award for outstanding service by the American Society of Public Administration and the Outstanding Public Transportation Manager of the Year Award by the American Public Transportation Association.

Prior to the KCATA, he was the first executive director of the Mid America Regional Council (MARC) and the organization preceding MARC, Metroplan. Davis is currently employed part-time by Olsson Associates.

His civic involvement has included serving on the Gladstone City Council and as mayor of Gladstone; chairing “Gladstone on the Move,” and being appointed to several positions including planning commissioner, parks commissioner and the Board of Zoning Adjustment. Mayor Kay Barnes appointed Davis to the Port Authority of Kansas City Board of Commissioners.

He is active in the Northland Regional Chamber, the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce and currently serves on Northland Neighborhoods as president and chairman of the Governmental Affairs Committee.

A passionate baseball fan, Dick has been a Kansas City Royal Lancer since 1997, serving as president in 2002 and has been active in the Major League Players Trust for Children.

Davis’ Key Issues:
Davis said he wants to bring “common sense” and “good government” to City Hall and provide leadership and a vision for Kansas City. He also wants to strengthen the performance of city employees by improving training and overall morale. In addition, he wants to improve the city’s deferred maintenance and end the downsizing of city staff. For the 1st District, he said the area between the Missouri River and Vivion Road needs better streets, sidewalks and drainage. Northland neighborhoods should accelerate housing repairs for low income residents and there must be an aggressive effort to improve the Antioch Center, he said.

1st District At-Large:
Scott Wagner
Scott Wagner grew up in the Northland and attended North Kansas City School District schools, graduating from Oak Park High School in 1989.  He worked his way through college, including working his senior year at the Clay County Economic Development Corporation, and graduated from William Jewell College in 1994 with a Bachelor of Science in history, business and economics.

In 2003, Wagner married his wife, Laura, moving from the Northland to start a family in Kansas City’s Historic Northeast area. They have two sons, Patrick and Truman.

Wagner is currently serving a third term as president of the Indian Mound Neighborhood Association and is serving as vice president of the Northeast Kansas City Chamber of Commerce in 2010.  He is a member of both the Northeast Community Center Steering Committee and the finance committee of Holy Cross Catholic Church on St. John Avenue, and is serving as interim chairman of the HELP Center. Wagner is also a former board member of Old Northeast, Inc.

Throughout the years, Wagner has volunteered with several organizations, including Stop Violence Coalition, Coro Kansas City Internship Program, Greater Kansas City Convention & Visitors Association, Neighbor To Neighbor, Baptist-Trinity Lutheran Legacy Foundation, Cliff Drive Corridor Management Committee, among others.

Wagner’s work has resulted in improvements to Northeast’s parks, including Budd Park, Cliff Drive and soon to be seen improvements to Maple Park; the formation of soccer leagues in the area and the renovation of the Kansas City Museum.

In 1995, he began his professional career as marketing director for the City Market and worked diligently to bring attention to the market and surrounding area.  His efforts resulted in hundreds of events and millions of visitors to the area throughout the year.

With the birth of their second son, Wagner and his wife founded Wagner Marketing. During that time, Wagner worked as an account executive and director of public relations for Fasone & Partners, Inc., a local marketing agency in Kansas City, for two and a half years. Wagner returned to Wagner Marketing in 2010.

Wagner said he hopes to use his experience and passion for community to protect the interests of the 1st District and make policy decisions that will benefit all Kansas Citians.

Wagner’s Key Issues:
Wagner said he wants to focus on neighborhoods, jobs and economic development.

“Economic development tools from TIF down to Façade Abatement are either not available or pushed for this area.  There needs to be an advocate for these tools in this area and more more money needs to be made available for them,” he said.

Wagner also wants to streamline the permit process for new businesses, help and restore Antioch Center, Metro North, Bannister Mall and other problem retail areas and partner the city with area non-profit agencies to create business incubators to help anchor problem commercial districts.

For neighborhoods, he wants to provide economic development tools like the Urban Renewal Zones and Community Improvement Districts without cost prohibitive fees.

“Economic development fees are one of the biggest barriers to real economic development in Northeast. They need to go away,” Wagner said.

Other areas he wants to focus on in neighborhoods include, combating crime by placing more emphasis on community policing and restoring the CAN Center, creating Neighborhood Improvement Authorities, budget and bid “smarter” to deliver city services better, among others.

“For example,” he said, “change the way we do PIAC so bids for our capital projects go out in the winter, when we can get the best deals, as opposed to the beginning of May.”

Daina Kennedy
Daina Kennedy grew up in Excelsior Springs, Mo., and received an apprenticeship degree in radio broadcasting and is currently serving as president of Rampart Ministries, the organization she founded. Past work experience has included owner and manager of DAK Custom, supervisor’s assistant for Stonecroft Ministries, office manager for Chapman Recording, among others. Kennedy has also been involved with foreign missions in Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Zambia, Zimbabwe and other countries.

Kennedy’s Key Issues:
Kennedy said her goal is to be a good listener and communicator for Kansas Citians.

3rd District:
Jermaine Reed
Jermaine Reed is a son of Kansas City and a product of Kansas City Public Schools. He graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science.

Over the past twelve years, he has dedicated his life to empowering others to achieve their dreams by exposing them to opportunities that give many the equal footing needed for them to succeed.

His commitment to modernizing and equipping Kansas City for the next generation will bring a renewed sense of hope to the 3rd District and the City of Kansas City Council, he said.

Reed’s Key Issues:
Strengthening the Kansas City community has always been one of his top priorities, Reed said. Reed’s dedication to community organizations, such as the Ad-Hoc Group Against Crime, where he serves as Chairman of the Board, and his most recent experience with Congressman Emmanuel Cleaver’s Green Impact Zone of Missouri, are clear examples of his commitment to making Kansas City a better place for all of its citizens, he said.

Reed is also focusing on the youth of Kansas City and is involved with the teen talk show “Generation Rap” on KPRS/HOT 103 JAMZ that focuses on issues and topics that interest today’s youth.

It has always been a lifelong desire to support the very community he grew up in by utilizing his skills and experiences to help Kansas City become a world-class city, he said.

Reed said he’s dedicated and energized to take his commitment to the next level as an elected official.

Sharon Sanders Brooks
Sharon Sanders Brooks grew up in Kansas City and is a historical consultant. A former civil rights investigator, she addressed employment and fair housing discrimination complaints in Kansas City.

Sanders Brooks said she’s “well-versed” in the challenges that face the basic structures of communities.

In addition to serving on the City of Kansas City Council for the 3rd District, her past work experience includes serving as the state legislator for District 37 in the Missouri House of Representatives and working as a journalist.

She is a board member on the Black Archives of Mid-America, Inc., the American Jazz Museum and the Kansas City Convention and Visitor Association. She is also involved with the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., the American Association of Museums, the Association of African Museums, Freedom Inc., the National Association of Black Local Elected Officials, among others.

She is currently serving as chair of the city council’s Housing Committee and serves on the Finance and Audit Committee, Legislative Committee and is chair of the Downtown Convention Hotel RFP Committee.

Sanders’ Brooks key issues were not available.

3rd District At-Large:
Melba Curls
Melba Curls grew up in Kansas City and graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia and the University of Kansas.

Curls has been employed in the public sector most of her life, working for city, state and federal governments.  She previously worked for the City of Kansas City in the Personal and Legal Departments and as a staff assistant under Mayor Wheeler.

After her years at City Hall, she was elected to the Missouri House of Representatives in 1999, where she focused on identifying issues that affected Kansas City and worked with her colleagues to develop solutions and positive change. While serving in the House for more than six years, she was appointed chairperson of the Committee on Urban Affairs from 2000 to 2002 and was vice-chair of the Ethics Committee from 2004 to 2006.

Curls is vice chair of the Housing Committee, vice chair of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and serves on the Legislative Committee and Public Safety and Neighborhoods Committee.

Curls has a long history of public service to the community, and she continues to remain engaged in a variety of philanthropic organizations, as well as civic activities. She serves as a board member for the American Jazz Museum, DeLaSalle Education Center, Friends of the Bruce R. Watkins Cultural Heritage Center, Greater Kansas City Women’s Political Caucus, Jackson County Board of Domestic Violence Shelters, among others.

Curls’ Key Issues:
Curls wants to focus on neighborhood preservation, public safety, basic services, economic development, education, indigent health care and debt management.

To support neighborhood preservation and development, she will continue to utilize and maintain the Public Improvements Advisory Council (PIAC).

“I will lead the effort to renew the sales tax that funds the PIAC budget,” she said. “It is also important that the city maintain the integrity of that program funding, and I would work to prevent the city government from raiding that funding.”

In terms of crime, she plans to establish a truancy prevention program, which would reduce the number of high school-age students who get in trouble during times they are supposed to be in school. In addition, she would adopt a landlord accountability policy to penalize landlords that do not maintain their property, increase community policing and support a workforce revitalization partnership with the business community.

Brandon Ellington
Brandon Ellington was raised in the inner-city of Kansas City by his mother and majored in criminal justice at Penn Valley. He later graduated from UMKC with a bachelor’s degree in political science and philosophy.

As a co-founder of Voices Of The People, Ellington said he’s committed to fighting for the rights of the underprivileged and knows education is key. He is also the chief executive office of Ain’t No Love Entertainment.

Ellington has been involved in civic life since childhood, often working for free.

“I do what I do out of necessity, not notoriety,” he said.

In addition to Voices of the People, Ellington is president of I Am My Brother’s Keeper and also works with G.Y.R.L. (Giving Yourself Real Love) and Jaws for Justice.

From an early age, Ellington was taught that nothing in life is free, and one has to work hard and diligently to achieve goals and desires.

By living in an underdeveloped, crime infested, impoverished community, Ellington said he believes he’s been blessed with a unique insight, not only to the plight of Kansas City but to realistic solutions.

Ellington’s Key Issues:
Ellington wants to address the systematic causes of crime, which include lack of education, lack of resources, unstable neighborhoods and failure to invest in the community. He also wants to focus on economic development by encouraging organic business growth, generating new streams of revenue, reforming tax incentives and utilizing community development credit unions.

In addition, he wants to address infrastructure and public safety and make a targeted plan for blighted areas.

4th District:
Jan Marcason
Born and raised in Kansas City, Jan Marcason received an MBA from the University of Missouri-Kansas City in 1999, completed the Denali Initiative for Social Entrepreneurism Fellowship in 2002 and has a degree in education from Kansas University.

Marcason and her husband, Dick Purucker, are actively involved in their Southmoreland neighborhood. Marcason is also a member of Citizens Association and the Committee for County Progress. She currently serves on several boards, including, Missouri Municipal League, Board of Directors and Resolutions Committee, Mid America Regional Council (Second Vice Chair),Kansas City Convention and Visitors’ Association, Economic Development Corporation, among others.

Prior to her election, Marcason served as the executive director of Mid America Assistance Coalition for 16 years. At MAAC she managed an annual budget of more than a million dollars and helped direct millions more to local social service organizations.

Marcason was a founding board member of the Ivanhoe Neighborhood Front Porch Alliance and serves on the Maternal and Child Health Coalition Advisory Board. She was the president of the Women’s Political Caucus and was appointed by Governor Mel Carnahan to the Missouri Commission on Retirement, Removal and Discipline of Judges. Marcason is a former board member of the National Fuel Funds Network.

Previously, Marcason’s public service extended to Washington, D.C., where she worked for former Vice President Walter Mondale, among others. As a leader of the Junior League, Marcason helped start the Jazzoo fundraiser that has brought millions of dollars to help the Kansas City Zoo.

Marcason’s Key Issues:
Marcason said she wants to work with the new mayor and council to set priorities for the next four years and work to achieve those priorities. She also wants to develop an economic strategy to attract industries, encourage economic growth and determine what areas of the city need to be revitalized.

She also wants to ensure the mayor and city council are working together toward common and achievable goals.

4th District At-Large:
John Crawford
John Crawford was born into a large, working-class, Irish-Catholic family in an industrial city in Massachusetts.

He was an impressionable 13-year-old when John Kennedy became President and called upon young people to “ask what you can do for America.”

Like his father, Jack, and brother Bob, Crawford is a war veteran, who volunteered for Vietnam, serving in an Army artillery unit.  After completing his tour of duty and returning home, he felt the war was a terrible mistake, he said, and volunteered in the McGovern Presidential campaign to help get the U.S. out of that “quagmire.”

After serving in Vietnam, Crawford — who grew up in a union household — became a member of the Steelworkers, working at Worcester Pressed Aluminum before he decided (as a late bloomer) to go to college and pursue degrees in urban planning and economics.

Crawford has a decades-long career as an urban planner and economist in public/private investment, including business park development, neighborhood and downtown housing, retail and office.

Crawford authored Missouri’s Community Improvement District (CID) law and has designed a housing rehabilitation program for Northland, Midtown and Southtown that resulted in nearly 600 rehabbed dwelling units.

He currently serves on boards for two neighborhoods, including the Ivanhoe Neighborhood Council and the Crestwood Homes Association.

Crawford’s Key Issues:
Crawford wants to focus on economic development, community reinvestment and Kansas City’s government.

Crawford said there needs to be a negotiated “disarmament” agreement between Metro Cities and that cities should not be “raiding” each other’s businesses when there is no real in growth in the Metro area.

Kansas City’s permit and review process must be streamlined and business development efforts should be aimed at industries with a natural affinity for central cities and ones that export goods and or services outside of Kansas City to bring in new income and jobs, he said.

The city manager and the human relations department should develop a “succession plan” for key city departments and use department head turnover as a key factor in evaluating the city’s manager’s performance and salary, he said.

Jim Glover
Jim Glover moved to Kansas City in 1973 after graduating from Westminster College with a bachelor’s degree in urban and regional development.

He worked as an urban economist for the Mid-American Regional Council in 1974, where his main task was helping to develop a metropolitan transportation system, and worked as an environmental affairs assistant in the Department of Transportation in Washington D.C. in 1975.

In 1977, he graduated with a law degree from the University of Missouri – Kansas City School of Law.

Glover began his legal career as an assistant county prosecutor and has been in private practice since 1978.  Since 2003, Glover has worked with the firm Cooling & Herbers.

Glover has served as president of the Hyde Park Neighborhood Association and organized a successful Midtown Task Force to fight prostitution along Troost and Main.

He was appointed by Governor Kit Bond to the Missouri Housing Development Commission in 1982 and served until 1987.  His accomplishments there included convincing the commission to allocate single-family loan funds specifically for the urban core and to base loan fund allocations on population so Kansas City would receive proportionately as much as St. Louis.

He was first elected the City of Kansas City Council, 2nd District At-Large in 1991 and was re-elected in 1995. In 2003, he was elected to serve the 4th District At-Large.

Glover’s key issues were not available.