Kennan Seda

AGE: 63 years young

PROFESSION: Computer scientist

EDUCATION: North Tama High School Class of 1976; Iowa State University, B.S. Computer Science

FAMILY: I came back to Traer to care for my parents – Marvin and Florence Seda. My father is now deceased.

What motivated you to run for school board/city council/mayor? I am now semi-retired and when a current city council member resigned, I thought it would be a good chance to step forward and offer my talent and time.

What qualities and behaviors should school board/city council members and mayors exhibit? I think that one must be approachable and willing to listen to a variety of points of view. There are a lot of good ideas out there on how to improve our city.

What do you see as the primary roles and responsibilities for the position you are running for? Working with the mayor and other city council members, we need to give our city and TMU employees, fire fighters and ambulance crew the tools, training and support to maintain these critical city services. We need to also seek ways to improve our community so that Traer is a great place to live.

How would you handle requests if approached by an individual? Special interest group? I want individuals and groups to step forward with their ideas. I think we should provide more forums for citizens to share their input.

Why is it important for people to vote in school board/city elections? “Your vote is your voice.” One is most effective at the local level where you can interact with community leaders easier than our officials in Toledo, Des Moines or Washington, D.C. I encourage everyone to take their responsibility as a citizen seriously.

What challenges do you see small, rural communities like yours facing today as compared to larger cities and suburbs? What do you plan to do to help meet those challenges as a city council member/mayor? Maintaining fire, ambulance and law enforcement services is the one area where smaller towns and rural areas are having challenges.

Why should people vote for you on November 2, 2021? I will make a good faith effort to improve our community and request that others step forward and offer their ideas too. I already have interacted with voters about their ideas since I became a candidate for Traer City Council. I ask for your vote on November 2.