Article Contributed on: 10/12/2007 10:18:06 AM
Kevin Jacobs is running for Broomfield City Council, Ward 3
My name: Kevin Jacobs
Age: 42
My family: Married to Susie Jacobs with two daughters, Hannah and Sophie, who attend school in ward 3.
What I do: Assistant Vice Chancellor for Human Resources, University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center
My favorite place in town to hang out: Parks and trails with my family.
What I like most about living here: The people have a great community spirit and commitment to serving and involvement.
My interests and hobbies: Motorcycling, running and spending time with friends and family.
What is my favorite thing to cook: Chili
People who inspired me (and how): My grandfather, Oz Black, for his patience, service to others and creativity; my parents, Wayne and Judy, for their encouragement and work ethic; my wife, Susie, for her commitment, caring and giving me honest feedback; my daughters, Sophie and Hannah, for giving me hope and reality checks; and so many teachers who have helped me to listen, think critically, communicate effectively and serve others.
How I have contributed to the community: I volunteer in church, school, political, non-profit and other community organizations and events.
What are the biggest issues facing your city now: As Broomfield became a county and has grown in recent years, the council has not changed and engaged citizens enough to meet new challenges. The council must listen more effectively by opening up more of their meetings and deliberations to the public, demonstrating their understanding of residents concerns in their actions and explaining such actions thoroughly. Until the council is responsive to citizen input, it will not be effective in addressing other challenges, such as growth, water supply, transportation and service needs.