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Dear Editor:
I want to tell people why I was so encouraged and delighted to hear that Kristen Burkman is running for mayor of Westfield.
Several years ago, a developer set sights on the western quadrant of Westfield, where I live on a small hobby farm. We banded together with other neighbors to try to fight off this Goliath through public hearings, but we knew we were outmatched.
But soon a group of citizens began doing a LOT of research into what we wanted to do with our area and the value of those ideas. Then they began putting in untold hours of their time, visiting with city council members and educating them about other amazing options that had been used elsewhere and how we could apply those things here. It was almost miraculous.
We had strategy meetings and large neighborhood meetings showing off all the types of small businesses out here, the amazing quality of life, and the value of greenspace in our community. People began to have hope and see all kinds of new ways of going about municipal growth.
And who was the woman who put in all that time, did all that research, and spent all that time working with city government and putting together teams of citizens to cover all those bases?
A woman named Kristen Burkman.
She quietly and steadily steered us through five years of struggle to save the golf course, to stick to the comprehensive plan, to insist on detailed, high standards, and to give a voice to the many residents who felt abandoned.
We won.
We beat the largest developer in the U.S. We knew development would come, but we were organized and informed and stronger together than we were apart. We told them how it would be done. It was astounding.
Kristen Burkman’s unending diligence, focus, and organizational skills set us on the path for success, and her unrelenting willingness to give her time and expertise made it work. I couldn’t believe the amount of work she put in and how well organized we were.
Her plan is not just to make the best Westfield for us, but also for our kids. It’s to make our city successful on its own merits, not just on the back of Grand Park. Her involvement at all levels, from parent, PTA, sports mom, to multi-million-dollar budgeting and marketing in her career with Delta, make her the ideal leader for our city. She is the only candidate with an MBA, and the only candidate who didn’t take any money from any developer.
After we saved the golf course and won our fight for high standards, Kristen was asked to join city government on the Advisory Plan Commission because they recognized her skills and wisdom.
I was so thankful for her leadership and involvement through those years fighting for our neighborhood. I couldn’t be more excited to see what she can do with Westfield.
Westfield has some serious growing pains coming. Kristen’s education, skill set, and commitment were evident during our fight. It helped us all focus and stay the course during a long struggle. She’s now completing her PhD in leadership. That’s the kind of mind we need at the helm of our rapidly growing city.
I can’t wait to vote for Kristen Burkman: a citizen-leader, not a politician.
Tracy Pielemeier
Westfield