Short Bio:
My name is Jeremy Miner and I am a proud local business owner and active community member in Valdez. I currently own the 32 ̊ Lounge & Grill and am the General Manager of the Mountain Sky Hotel. In addition, I coach the Valdez High Baseball team and serve as the President of the Valdez Convention and Visitors Bureau.
I came to Valdez in 2009 from Washington State, where I spent most of my life. In Seattle I owned and operated a small lucrative design firm and have extensive experience in the financial mortgage and restaurant industries. I married the love of my life, Holly, and am blessed with two children, Blake 10, and Morgan, 8.I’m running for City Council because of my commitment and desire to develop Valdez into a wonderful, sustainable community for generations to come. We will achieve this by taking a balanced approach looking after our environment, the community, and most importantly, our next generation. I understand there is not one single way to accomplish a goal, and will collaborate with all Valdez stake holders to ensure a better future to our city. This is the foundation I live by daily.
- What are three main challenges for the City of Valdez in the next five years? As a potential council member, how do you plan to address them?
The second issue that we should discuss is town appearance. As a resident of Valdez we need to understand and embrace that travel and tourism is a major driver of our economy. As a community we must change our perception of the town and do it quickly. Dealing with thousands of guests on an annual basis, I hear the consistent message of the environment surrounding Valdez being “one of the most amazing places in the world.” However, the overall appearance of Valdez is creating a negative opinion. As a council member I would like to help build a foundation that makes an immediate impact on this perception. If we don’t begin their process rapidly, we will see an impact on our community. We can make Valdez an attractive city to all by working with the current beatification committee and other leaders to create a stronger regulatory system which invites residents to take pride in their community.
The third, and quite possibly the most essential, is the development of more youth activities. Having two young children of my own I aim to see them not only be proud residents of Valdez, but also the next leaders of Valdez. As a community we must create and promote more recreation, arts and educational programs for our youth. As the head coach of the Valdez High School baseball team, I get to see the benefits of youth development every day. My players are gaining leadership skills and a strong work ethic. If we can create more access to activities it will increase their potential for creating future leaders and prideful residents. Our youth is our future. We must invest the time and the effort now if we would like to set the groundwork for tomorrow.
- The City of Valdez has put considerable effort into strategic planning in the last few years, do you feel the current level of planning is lacking, adequate or excessive? Please explain.
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