Christal Laswell, candidate for village clerk in Glen Carbon, IL
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More on the election for Glen Carbon village clerk
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Name:
Christal Laswell
Political party (if applicable):
Non-partisan
Age as of April 6, 2021:
39
Campaign website or social media page:
https://www.facebook.com/christalforglencarbon
For further candidate information, please refer to https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UxbpR69jwOJ0FjtrCr5gLq8Y2NlSYXUMnMxD1v_jh1A/edit.
Office seeking:
Glen Carbon village clerk
Are you an incumbent?
No
Previous offices sought:
None
Occupation:
Self-employed fitness and wellness coach
Education:
Master of Public Administration from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville with an emphasis in local government and personnel administration; Bachelor of Science in Psychology from SIUE with an emphasis in industrial/organizational psychology.
Please list highlights of your civic involvement:
I have always been drawn and led to work in environments that allow me to make a direct impact on people’s lives. My local-government experience, specifically, has allowed me to serve and make a difference in many communities.
Examples include, but are not limited to:
- Having direct involvement in community engagement and outreach initiatives, leading to the development and implementation of a city business and strategic plan in Collinsville.
- Serving as a board member for community improvement and transportation development districts while leading and directing economic-development efforts in Crestwood, Missouri.
- Having leadership and liaison roles on committees and commissions, such as a civil-service commission, finance committee, budget-review team and safety committee, all of which directly impacted community-centered initiatives or staff.
- Serving as a communication conduit between departments, city leaders and the community, including the development of a community-oriented Annual Performance Report and Financial Trends Monitoring Report, providing transparency from within a governmental organization.
- Having professional affiliations related to city management, including the Southwestern Illinois City/County Management Association, Illinois City/County Management Association, International City/County Management Association, Alliance for Innovation Ambassador Program and ICMA Center for Performance Measurement Leadership Committee.
Why are you running?
I have lived in Glen Carbon almost all my life. I attended grade school (K-6) at Glen Carbon Elementary, graduated Edwardsville High School and completed undergraduate and graduate degrees at SIUE, and I am now raising my own family right here in the heart of Glen Carbon.
I have nearly 10 years of local-government experience, five years of experience managing and operating my own business, a heart to serve and a love and passion for building community and connection. I am most excited about the many ways I feel I can contribute my knowledge, skills and abilities to the position and would be honored to serve my community and hometown as Glen Carbon village clerk.
What is the top issue in your race, and how would you address it?
The village clerk does not have voting authority to influence policy change or address “issues” as this question references. The position is meant to fulfill the statutory duties governed by the state of Illinois. Therefore, it would be my duty to fulfill and uphold those roles and responsibilities. Most importantly, if given the opportunity to serve as village clerk, I would do so with the willingness and heart to serve the PEOPLE of Glen Carbon, fulfill my duties with professionalism and integrity and practice the utmost transparency while applying my professional experiences.
Why should people vote for you?
My time in local government has given me some INCREDIBLE experiences. I had an amazing opportunity to serve the city of Collinsville as a management analyst and assistant to the city manager. I was fortunate to have a leadership role with direct involvement in the development of the city’s business plan, consisting of a strategic plan, services and operations strategy and financial plan/annual budget. I also served the city of Crestwood, Missouri, as interim city administrator and management analyst, leading and directing the city’s economic-development efforts.
I believe my professional and educational experiences give me a deep familiarity with many facets of governmental operations and will serve as great assets to the village of Glen Carbon.
In addition, I have a heart to serve and would be honored to serve my friends, community and hometown as Glen Carbon village clerk. I’ve been known to pour my heart into everything I do, I am willing to embrace any challenge that comes my way, I love to lead and inspire and I believe my experiences have made me more resilient than ever. I would LOVE the opportunity to serve YOU, as well as put this local-government experience to good work for the village of Glen Carbon!
This story was originally published February 28, 2021 at 5:31 PM.