My name is Rod Roberson and it is with profound pride that I formally announce my candidacy to become the next Mayor of the City of Elkhart. I am a native of Elkhart, and have witnessed first hand the power that resides within serving the people of our community through a rich family history. My family’s commitments to service and leadership have greatly shaped my own views and practices of Service-First Leadership that are so critical to effectively working with leaders, cutting across various public & private sectors, and community residents alike.
I believe in Elkhart, and plan to link every individual within this city through a unified and common vision that we all have a hand in shaping. TOGETHER, with a growing group of campaign volunteers and community supporters, our team will engage the community as we build a vision for an even greater Elkhart. Three words will direct how we will make Elkhart an even better place, and they are: BUILDING ELKHART TOGETHER. As we analyze the ways in which Elkhart operates as a city government, we will examine what’s working and what can be improved. We will then BUILD on the existing foundations of leadership and improve city practices. TOGETHER we will work with community stakeholders as we ensure that Elkhart is moving forward in a way that advances the interests and values of our residents.
I love our city too much to seek to be your Mayor and lead empty handed. Therefore, I will bring over four decades of cross-sector leadership experience, ranging from corporate leadership, problem solving and stakeholder engagement to city government administration and management. Additionally, the sixteen years of experience that I spent as an At-Large City Councilman, including two years as City Council President, will enable me to partner with the council in order to move Elkhart towards proper governance and policy making. Perspective is everything and my former role as Executive Director of Church Community Services, and my current role as Director of Co-Curricular Programming within Elkhart Community Schools, affords me a balance of perspective that will guide how I bring leaders together across sectors and aisles.
As I embark on this historic journey to become Elkhart’s next leader, I ask that each and everyone of you join me. My campaign platform ideas revolve around the following themes: housing, education, economic development, public safety. I plan to evaluate and reinvigorate city departments for the purposes of ensuring that service is the first priority in how we all lift up the residents of Elkhart. In order to achieve this, we need the input and feedback of everyone. It does not matter if you identify as a Republican, Democrat, Independent, or another political party. What matters is that you care and you have a voice.
