Fireside Guard Interview for Centralia City Alderman Ward 2 originally published March 29, 2017

Here is the complete email interview with the Fireside Guard published on March 29, 2017. 

1.  Discuss the qualifications you offer to the citizens and staff of the city of Centralia.  Example: your educational background, previous community service, work experience, etc.

I graduated with honors on both a Bachelors degree (2004) and a Masters in Business Administration (2010). I have over 25 years of progressive professional experience in Materials Management. I have led teams, reduced costs, and drove overall improvements. Currently I oversee more than $90 Million in purchases and negotiate multi-million dollar contracts. As a Pastor, I have led church revitalization projects that brought new life to the church and outreach to the community. In 2016 I was part of the City of Centralia Comprehensive Plan team focused on Economic Development and want to be part of the future of our great city.

2.  What ideas do you see as being important to the continued growth and success of the city of Centralia.

Having served on the City of Centralia Comprehensive Plan team, I have seen that there is a lot we can do to help our city continue to grow. We need to aggressively attract additional small to medium sized manufacturing businesses. This will increase the job opportunities for our citizens and pump more money into our retail stores and restaurants. We also need to continue to encourage those who work and/or live in Centralia to Shop Local. The more of our money we spend at Centralia stores and restaurants will help to keep those businesses profitable and people employed. With growth in our businesses and more people shopping local the money available for the City Government to invest into our community will grow. I believe we can implement or revitalize programs to grow the resources needed to ensure that Centralia is a great place to live for years to come.

3. As a prospective elected official, describe how you envision your professional relationship with the citizens and staff of the city.

If elected, part of my job as an Aldermen of the City of Centralia is to make sure I am available for my fellow citizens. My wife and I both work in Centralia, our kids are active in the schools here, so we spend most of our time in town. Whether we are having lunch at our favorite Mexican restaurant in Centralia, watching the Panthers play football on Friday night, or buying a pie to support the Panther Pride Marching Band we can be found in town. Being in town and at many of the local events makes it easy for me to be available for my fellow citizens. It is through the interactions with my fellow citizens that I can best represent them to the staff of the city. I will be able to carry ideas, fight for what is right, and hold people accountable as needed.

4. Are there any special ideas, concerns or plans that would be a high priority for you as an elected official of the Centralia city government.

In addition to attracting businesses and creating jobs, I believe some of the top priorities for the leadership of the City of Centralia are supporting our police and fire departments, schools, parks, and maintaining the beauty of Centralia. Essentially, we need to make sure we are supporting the things that make Centralia a great place to live. Safety should always be our first priority, and we need to make sure we have enough police and fire support to achieve this. Supporting our schools and parks is an investment in future generations and makes Centralia an attractive place for families.

Robert Hudson for Centralia Alderman Ward 2