|
|
|
Forty years, Ira Anders said, is a good, even number to round out his total years with the Independence School District. But what comes next, he said, didn’t cross his mind until community members approached and encouraged him.
Anders, who has served the school district as a teacher, computer technology troubleshooter and most recently as a Board of Education member, is announcing today his intention to run for the 51st District Missouri House of Representatives seat in November 2010.
A Democrat, Anders is the first person to publicly announce his intention to run. State Rep. Ray Salva, also a Democrat, will be term-limited at the end of the 2010 session. The 51st District serves northwestern Independence and Sugar Creek.
Anders’ one and only six-year Independence Board of Education term will expire in April 2010. He said he plans to focus his campaign efforts next summer in preparation for November’s election.
“At first it was like, ‘Oh, I don’t know,’” Anders said of his response when community members encouraged him to run, “and then I got to thinking about it and thought, ‘Maybe this is how it’s supposed to work. Perhaps this was a plan, and it was supposed to work this way.’”
Anders, 67, has lived in Independence with his wife, Nina, for more than 40 years, and now resides on North Spring Street across from McCoy Park. Nina is a small-business owner with Scandinavia Place on the Independence Square.
He said he has lobbied on teachers’ behalf in Jefferson City and considers the most pressing issues in Eastern Jackson County as job creation, medical care, law enforcement, and of course, education and the schools.
“I can’t spend 40 years with the Independence School District and not have some bias and allegiance to it,” Anders said. “You just can’t walk away from it.”
Among his personal strengths, Anders said he has learned to approach issues on both sides and to bring people together in discussion.
“There aren’t too many people that I can’t absolutely get along with,” he said, adding that he tries to find common ground with people, regardless of political party lines.
“I believe that I have built a reputation where people believe me,” Anders said, “at least I’ve tried to build that reputation.”
Forty years, Ira Anders said, is a good, even number to round out his total years with the Independence School District. But what comes next, he said, didn’t cross his mind until community members approached and encouraged him.
Anders, who has served the school district as a teacher, computer technology troubleshooter and most recently as a Board of Education member, is announcing today his intention to run for the 51st District Missouri House of Representatives seat in November 2010.
A Democrat, Anders is the first person to publicly announce his intention to run. State Rep. Ray Salva, also a Democrat, will be term-limited at the end of the 2010 session. The 51st District serves northwestern Independence and Sugar Creek.
Anders’ one and only six-year Independence Board of Education term will expire in April 2010. He said he plans to focus his campaign efforts next summer in preparation for November’s election.
“At first it was like, ‘Oh, I don’t know,’” Anders said of his response when community members encouraged him to run, “and then I got to thinking about it and thought, ‘Maybe this is how it’s supposed to work. Perhaps this was a plan, and it was supposed to work this way.’”
Anders, 67, has lived in Independence with his wife, Nina, for more than 40 years, and now resides on North Spring Street across from McCoy Park. Nina is a small-business owner with Scandinavia Place on the Independence Square.
He said he has lobbied on teachers’ behalf in Jefferson City and considers the most pressing issues in Eastern Jackson County as job creation, medical care, law enforcement, and of course, education and the schools.
“I can’t spend 40 years with the Independence School District and not have some bias and allegiance to it,” Anders said. “You just can’t walk away from it.”
Among his personal strengths, Anders said he has learned to approach issues on both sides and to bring people together in discussion.
“There aren’t too many people that I can’t absolutely get along with,” he said, adding that he tries to find common ground with people, regardless of political party lines.
“I believe that I have built a reputation where people believe me,” Anders said, “at least I’ve tried to build that reputation.”
