Nonpartisan Candidate for Winter Garden City Commission, District 4
Education: Bachelor of Science in Communications, University of Wisconsin – Madison, 1978; Master of Science in Systems Management – Information Systems, University of Southern California, 1988
Occupation: Task Leader / Senior Systems Engineer at The MITRE Corporation.
Home: Winter Garden
Age: 60
Past Political/Civic Experience: United States Military Officer – Major, U.S. Air Force (retired); City Council Member – Creve Coeur Missouri (St. Louis Suburb) - 2002-2010; City Council President – Creve Coeur Missouri – 2005-2006; Belle Meade HOA Board of Directors – 2011-2012; Belle Meade Architectural Review Board – 2011 - Present
Website: https://www.facebook.com/kassander4wintergarden
Email: kassander.wintergarden@gmail.com
Q: What is your top priority if elected?
Winter Garden is a great place to live, work and play with a family friendly, small town feel. We are lucky to have many people wanting to live in our community. Our city is experiencing rapid growth through annexation and many new homes and business are being built. While we currently enjoy the luxury of space, it is important to continually evaluate our comprehensive land use plan. I will make sure our infrastructure issues are addressed, keeping pace with our growth and still protecting the personality of our community.
Q: What makes you the best candidate in the race?
My knowledge and proven performance during over 35 years of military and public service makes me the best choice to serve the residents of Winter Garden. After completing my career as a Major in the USAF, I continued my public service as a Systems Engineer supporting our nation's defense. At a local level, I served over 8 years as an elected representative in suburban Saint Louis. I earned a reputation for my ability to work collaboratively with other elected officials, city staff and other organizations. My commitment to residents and businesses was recognized by the local Chamber of Commerce when they awarded me the Legislator of the Year award in 2006.
Q: Please list important issues and briefly state your position on those issues.
Keeping our city a safe, family-friendly community - Our active community attracts many families and enthusiasts who enjoy walking, biking, and other outdoor activities in our community. Providing a safe environment is of vital importance to me. I advocated for the completion of a sidewalk along a busy street and followed up with our Winter Garden city staff until it was finished. In addition, I worked closely with city staff to create a school crosswalk and add a light to illuminate a previously dark school bus stop to help ensure our children's safety.; Traffic Management - Our city is growing. It is critical we fully understand the impacts new subdivisions and commercial businesses have on traffic flow. With careful planning including traffic studies, we can mitigate this potential negative impact of growth.; Fiscal Responsibility – I learned the importance of limiting and prioritizing spending, as a military program manager of fiscally large programs and as a member of the City Council in Suburban Missouri. We must be conscientious and ensure critical items on the city budget are fully addressed before less critical concerns.
Q: How can you improve Winter Garden?
Active, informed residents and businesses play vital roles in the strength of a community. I believe in the importance of encouraging them to communicate and connect with their elected representative. To accomplish this I will be accessible, hold Town Hall meetings, and work diligently to keep people informed and up to date on key city issues.
Q: If you wish to address some issue not listed above, I invite you to submit a brief statement on that matter.