Meet the Candidates: Ward 3

Editor's note: This article was updated with candidate contact information at 12:24 p.m. 

In this year's April election, Ward 3 has one two-year position and one three-year seat open on O'Fallon City Council. The two-year seat is left by Dan Haney's resignation in October. The three year seat is left by John Haman Jr.’s term ending in April.

There are five candidates vying for the two-year seat while Haman is running unopposed for the three-position. 

O'Fallon Patch sent each of the city council candidates the same questionnaire. Candidates submitted answers by email. O'Fallon Patch will feature the  each Tuesday throughout the month of March. 

This week, we meet Ward 3 candidates Ken Wood, Mike Nunnery, Dave Evans Richard Battelle and John Haman Jr. 

Ward 3 Candidates for the Two-year Term

Full Name: Kenneth (Ken) Wood

Where do you live? 

 7307 Cinnamon Teal Dr. since 1999

What are your current job and/or position? 

 I have worked for AT&T for 40 years. I am a senior project manager. 

Why are you running for City Council? 

 I want to be involved with the Community as it grows and thrives as the best place to live.

Relevant Experience: 

I am a certified Project Management Professional (PMP). I have a Bachelors degree in Human Resources from St. Louis University. I  have worked as an election judge in St, Charles County for seven years and I have been a Subdivision Trustee for eight years.

What do you think you can bring to this position? 

With my work, community experience, and a great desire to help, I think I can continue to provide service to the residents of our great City of O’Fallon.

 Please tell us about one goal you have for this position. 

My goal is to further enhance the communications between the city leaders and the residents, bringing to light their issues and concerns. Working to make our city an even better and safer place to live, work and raise our children.

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Full name: Michael D. Nunnery, Sr. (Mike)

Where do you live?

6903 Cog Mill Drive, O’Fallon, MO; Villages at Dardenne – Prairie Village

What are your current job and/or position? 

 District Sales Manager / Hospira Worldwide, Inc.

Why are you running for City Council? 

 I served on the initial City Charter Committee; I did not feel it was proper for a citizen that voted for the creation of a board to turn around and serve on that board, thus I did not run for the City Charter Commission.  The incumbent Council Member for Ward 3 was Dan Haney and I firmly believed that Dan was doing an outstanding job representing the citizens within Ward 3. As such I did not run after the Charter was established. With Dan’s resignation I applied for the open seat which was not filled by the Mayor as directed by the Charter. He and the present Council decided that the few months between the appointment and the April 5 election would provide an unfair advantage to the appointed person. My resolve was even greater that the folks within Ward 3 needed to receive as great a representation as all folks within O’Fallon. Under our system we have two council members per ward. Thus our ward is underrepresented by 50 percent at the present time. My candidacy is built upon three principle concepts, as we are a top 10 city in which to live, we must develop and expand on that rating. Second, we must creatively bring about new business to the City of O’Fallon. We have way too many open “boxes” throughout the city and this must be addressed to retain that quality of life as well as preserve the tax base upon which the city must have to sustain itself and grow from an economic outlook. Third, but certainly not last, we must address the needs of our young citizenry. We must develop venues and partnerships that will provide them with amenities that will keep them safe and provide positive outlets which in turn will retain our focus on the family and our drive to remain a top 10 city. Living in this area is a privilege and serving the citizens of Ward 3 is a privilege that I value deeply and look forward to accomplishing come April 5, 2011!

Relevant experience: Registered voter; Bachelor of Science in Political Science/Business Administration; MBA with a Specialization in Healthcare (Cum Laude; Six- years government employment; Thirty-one-years health care sales experience; Twenty-two-years as a sales representative; Four-and-a-half years as a corporate analyst; Four-and-a-half years as a district sales manager; Previously served as president, secretary and treasurer of a regional medical representative’s association; Previously served as President of Kiwanis as well as Treasurer;  Member of Legion of Honor – Kiwanis International; Member of Knights of Columbus; Served over twenty-five years as certified basketball official. 

What do you think you can bring to this position?     

In these tough economic times, I bring a broad business background backed with an appreciation for the everyday efforts of the government employees, of which O’Fallon has some of the most finest employees. I bring maturity and a strong sense of fairness along with a resolve to listen intently to the needs of our community. My appreciation for politics brings with it the resolve that government should not create the need but help resolve the need of the constituency. When interviewed for the open seat, I was asked the following question: What would cause you to resign from the council in the event you were either appointed to the position or if not appointed, but you won the position in April? My response then, as now, was the following: I would only resign from the council because of a question of integrity. If anything was brought to the surface that showed the council lacking in integrity which was a direct result of my vote or actions as a council member, then I would resign immediately.

Please tell us about one goal you have for this position.

 Draw focus to the needs of Ward 3 and to the entire City of O’Fallon; this ward is a highly transient, or has been highly transient, over the years. I want the entire City of O’Fallon  to attain new heights as a Top 10 City close to the banks of the mighty Missouri River that needs to have its light shining as bright as ever! Community awareness and constant interaction with the citizens of Ward 3 will provide a 20 percent boost in the direction of making O’Fallon that number one city in the region, the state and the nation. I pledge that I will never run for any higher office.

Contact Information:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Vote-for-Mike-Nunnery-City-Council-Ward-3/199131066780761

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Full Name: Dave Evans

Where do you live? 5 Conestoga Ct O'Fallon, MO 633683

What is your current job and/or position?

 I am a former telecommunications manager currently doing project management consulting on a contract basis

Why are you running for City Council? 

The founders envisioned that our elected officials would be citizen servants with actual life experience who would represent their area. I believe I have the experience and principles to be such a representative of Ward 3 and offer myself in service to the citizens.

Relevant Experience: I am a family man, married for over 30 years, and together my wife Cindy and I raised and educated two children who now have careers of their own. I enjoyed a 23-year career in the telecommunications industry which included regulatory affairs responsibility. This interaction with govenrments and agencies from a private enterprise perspective equips me to understand the issues that will come before the council. I also served as industry liaison on the Taney County planning and zoning board, and in 2001 was appointed to the Governor's Homeland Security Panel, reponsible for assessing infrastructure security and recovery. The combination of professional and life experience equips me to represent the citizens of Ward 3.

What do you think you can bring to this position? 

I bring a sense of committment to common sense government, individual liberty and a belief that as it says in Article 1 of the Missouri Constitution, governments exist to protect the liberties of the people and their ability to enjoy the gains of their own industry. My work experience has given me knowledge of what it takes to run a business and employ people. My life experience gives me the perspective on what it takes to raise a family, pay all your bills and be a contributing citizen.

Please tell us about one goal you have for this position. 

O'Fallon has experienced phenomenal growth. People obviously want to live and work in our area, and it is the government's reponsibility to ensure a climate in which the individual can prosper and succeed. Provision of solid infrastructure, fiscally responsible government, and common sense regulation that allows business and individuals to thrive are my main objectives.

Contact Information: www.EvansForWard3.com 

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Full Name: Richard Battelle

Where do you live? Winghaven

What is your current job and/or position?

Managing Director, Spectrum Management

Why are you running for City Council?  

My experience is in public service and my commitment to serve the public is important to me. I am not a career politician and truly want to represent my constituents. WHen I moved to O'Fallon, Misssouri, I witnessed fighting between the city council, department heads and the former mayor's office, which resulted in lawsuits being filed and ultimately costing the taxpayers money. My concern for the present and future of St. Charles County, specifically O'Fallon, is evident by my desire to run for the open council seat in Ward 3. I hope to be a part of the solution, and further the working relationship between the city council and our residents. 

Relevant Experience: I was a sergeant with the St. Louis County Police Department and served the citizens for more than 16-years. In this capacity, I was involved in numerous assignments, ranging from the neighborhood policing unit, to overseeing the Special Investigations Unit, where I managed a team of undercover detectives. I also served within the Division of Criminal Investigations, where I was assigned to the Arson and Explosives Unit. Prior to my law enforcement career, I honorably served in the United States Air Force. I graduated from the Redstone Arsenal FBI Bomb Technician Training School and from Columbia College with a BA in Criminal Justice Administration. My current position as managing director for Spectrum Management offers the experience of working with numerous municipal government agencies in the development of crime fighting programs, which have quadrupled the growth of ETS. This community effort takes a great deal of coordination and communication across all levels of government to implement. 

What do you think you can bring to this position? 

A community effort takes a great deal of coordination and communication across all levels of government to execute an deliver the best service possible to our residents. I have been able to do this throughout my career, not only in public service but the private sector as well. 

Please tell us  about one goal you have for this position.

I want to fill those vacant commercial strip centers, which will require teamwork within the council. We need to work with the economic council in attracting new businesses to our city, while improving infrastructure, especially our neighborhood streets that are crumbling. 

Contact Information: FriendsforBattelle@gmail.com

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Editor's Note: O'Fallon Patch reached out to candidate Noal C. Roos via email and phone. At publication time, Roos did not send a response. We will continue to reach out  and will be happy to publish the candidate's answers as they come in.

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Ward 3 Candidate for the Three-year Term 

Full Name: John J. Haman Jr. 

Where do you live? 

700 English Ivy Springhurst Subdivision 

What is your current job and/or position? 

I am a Driver Trainer for Pepsi Beverage Company. I am the sitting Councilman for Ward 3. I am the Council Liaison for the O'Fallon Convention and Visitors Bureau. I am also wrapping up my second year as Council President. 

Why are you running for City Council?  

To continue to make O'Fallon safe for all of our residents.  Along with safety I will continue to strive for the betterment of O'Fallon.  With the state of the economics of the nation, O'Fallon has been able to stay ahead of the downturn by careful planning and tough decision making.  Our city's budget has remained in check and able to maintain a healthy surplus balance to continue to protect our residents from interruption in city business.  These surpluses have allowed us to keep our police department staffed and to keep our regular rotation of replacing old police cars.  We also have been able to make repairs and updates to our troubled water/waste water plants.  Our plants are now fully able to supply and dispose of our residents' water/waste water uses.  We have made many strides forward and I will continue these steps to keep O'Fallon as one of the Safest and Best Places to Live. 

Relevant Experience: First Elected to city council in 2006 then again in 2009; Shop Steward for local 688 since 2000.

What do you think you can bring to this position? 

My experience and ability to look outside of the normal process to find a better way of accomplishing goals for the city.  "Because that's the way we have always done it," does not work for me. To me "status quo" is a fancy way of saying I have nothing better to offer. I believe I have and will continue to offer something better.

Please tell us about one goal you have for this position. 

My goal is to continue to keep O'Fallon residents safe and our city financially solvent and strong.  These are the two keys for the future of our city and two keys that I use in each decision I make while working for the residents of Ward 3 and residents of the entire City of O'Fallon.