Letter to the Editor: Mayoral Candidate Hopes to Make Port 'Exceptional'

Editor's note: Tom Mlada is one of four candidates to become the next Port mayor. The other three candidates include John Sigwart, Ricky Ranz and Jim Vollmar. If you'd like to submit a letter to the editor in support of any candidate, feel free to e-mail the letter with your full name to Lyssa.Beyer@patch.com.

Dear City of Port Washington Residents:

Our city of Port Washington and its people are indeed great.  Now, it’s time for us to move Port forward — together — and make it exceptional!

That was my belief before I made the decision at the end of December to run for mayor. These past six weeks or so, as I've walked our city's neighborhoods and met with our city's people, I've come to believe it even more passionately.

We can collectively move Port forward and make it exceptional — but it will require all of us to do so.

Since declaring my candidacy, I’ve reached out to and met with our city leaders, city staff, aldermen, business owners, property owners, volunteers and people who’ve simply declared they’re "just residents." I am truly appreciative of the time and ideas and enthusiasm all of you have shared with me — your energy is obviously genuine and very contagious!

In part, my purpose for this outreach has, of course, been to establish some name recognition and build support for my mayoral run.  I have also done so because, should my fellow residents elect me as their mayor, I want to begin serving effectively on the first day I am mayor and, to do so, I need to build relationships and create an open, direct line of communication now.

There are many things that make our city of Port Washington what it is.  Abundant natural resources and green spaces, including our park system, trails, beaches and lakefront area. Homes and buildings with historical charm and significance. A charming downtown business district full of dedicated, innovative business owners. Good schools comprised of committed, passionate educators.  City government leaders and staff who've led in a fiscally responsible manner and gone above and beyond to maintain the beauty of our city, keep us safe, and provide us with an extraordinary level of services.  And of course, our city residents — warm, welcoming people who call it home and are willing to serve as its cheerleaders to others.

But I believe our city can be more — and I’m running for mayor because I believe I can help make it so.

My wife and I have been proud to call Port Washington home the past 12 years.  In fact, we've spent nearly all our life here since graduating from St. Norbert College in De Pere 15 years ago. Our girls have come to love our parks, our beaches, our library, our water park and our trails — among many other things (donut, ice cream and chocolate offerings included!). I've had the honor of serving on our city's Plan Commission and the YMCA’s Board.  In short, my family and I feel blessed by what Port has given us — and we stand ready to continue to give back to Port.

I am proud of what I've accomplished professionally, especially these last 10 years, when I’ve served the St. Monica School and Parish community in Whitefish Bay as its Director of Development & Stewardship. I’ve used my economics, business and marketing background and the interpersonal skills I learned in watching and learning from my personal hero, my dad.  He always championed the importance of being genuine in your relationships; being open to the ideas of others; being passionate and positive and purposeful in your work; and being good to everyone. I genuinely try to live my life each day with these ideals in mind.

As a city, we face many important decisions in the coming years. These decisions present us with the opportunity to position our city for a very strong, viable future for generations to come.  At this time, we need our mayor to continue to inspire and energize residents — and convey a vision of what we can be if we choose to move Port forward together.

I am confident I am prepared to serve as that mayor for our city of Port Washington. I intend to be a mayor of whom you can be proud, whether you agree with me or you don’t, whether you ultimately vote for me or not.  I pledge transparency, openness to ideas and a willingness to embrace meaningful change. I promise to do all I can to be our city’s biggest cheerleader and most passionate advocate. And, I commit to offering a seat at the table to all and an invitation to everyone to become actively engaged in partnering to achieve one common mission: to move our city forward together and make it exceptional!

Sincerely,

Tom Mlada
Candidate for mayor of Port Washington and proud city resident