EDITOR’S NOTE: Winfield features a contested race in Ward Two for its Board of Aldermen. One of the candidates, Chris Mitchell, submitted a profile for publication.  

Name: Chris Mitchell

Family: Debora (wife) works in the Early Childhood program in the Winfield School district, and Brock (son) is a student at Winfield.

Education: Bachelor of Science in Science Education from Central Methodist University, Master’s Degree in Educational Administration from Missouri Baptist University, Ed. Specialist in Educational Leadership from Missouri Baptist University.

1. Why should voters elect you to the Winfield Board of Aldermen?

I have lived in Winfield for nearly a decade and have beome familiar with the community from my experiences as a school official, little league coach and citizen in Ward 2. Prior to moving to Winfield, I enjoyed 19 years as a science teacher, coach, and high school principal. We have enjoyed raising our family in a small town and have a vested interest in the direction of our growth. I have played a large role in long range facility planning and grant procurement through my experience as the Assistant Superintendent of Schools for Winfield SD. Our city government neglected to capitalize on grant money from the largest infrastructure bill in our federal government’s history in recent years and I hope that I can offer some insight on securing outside funding to help our community.

2 . What would your goals be as a Winfield Alderman? I have participated in school governance for nearly 30 years and understand the importance of our elected officials reflecting the interests of the citizenry. The decisions that are made by city officials are guided by the codes that have been adopted and my goal is to ensure that these codes reflect the voter’s will. Most importantly, I want to ensure that these codes are enforced in a fair, consistent, and lawful manner. Unfortunately, this has not always been the case in the operations of our city government.

3. Lincoln County is experiencing unprecedented growth. What can Winfield do better to prepare for that expanding population? The main focus of any city government should relate to public safety and infrastructure. Due to a lack of budget management, our city struggles to maintain its streets and hire/retain law enforcement. As we continue to grow, the development of small businesses will be the key to our economic health. Without proper infrastructure and access, businesses will be slow to come to Winfield. I hope to bring experience in long range planning and funding procurement that our growing community needs at a time where growth is quickly approaching.