Three after seat on Rogers City Council

ROGERS -- Jerry Carmichael, Keith Jackson and Danny Kolman are vying for the open Ward 3, Position 2 City Council seat.

Andrew Hatfield, who represents Ward 3, is running unopposed to be city attorney. Ward 3 covers the western-most portion of Rogers, starting at the corner of West Olrich Street and South Dixieland Road. It extends west beyond Interstate 49 to North Main Street on the west side, south of Walnut Street on the north side and Mills Lane to the south.

Danny Kolman

• Age: 47

• Residency: Rogers

• Employment: National sales manager for retail at Bennett Retail Solutions

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in business organizational management from John Brown University

• Political experience: None

Jerry Carmichael

• Age: 54

• Residency: Rogers

• Employment: Co-owner, partner and chief financial officer of TY North America and an investment banker for Waypoint Private Capital

• Education: Bachelor of science in business administration from the University of Arkansas and continuing education through programs at the Soderquist Center for Leadership and Ethics at John Brown University and Southwestern Graduate School of Banking at Southwestern Methodist University in Dallas

• Political experience: Rogers Public Schools Board of Education from 1999-2015. Carmichael was president of the board during 2012-2015 and earned the 2010 Pinnacle Award-Arkansas School Boards Association, the highest award for an individual school board member in Arkansas

Keith Jackson

• Age: 50

• Residency: Rogers

• Employment: Financial integrity cases for Wal-Mart

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Central Arkansas

• Political experience: Ran for City Council seats twice before.

Source: Staff report

Danny Kolman is the son of Maurice Kolman, who was a longtime Rogers transportation and planning director. Kolman's family moved to Rogers in 1973, where he enjoyed a childhood as a Rogers Mountie and spent plenty of time playing at Northwest Park and Lake Atalanta.

Kolman moved away from Rogers to attend the University of Arkansas and finish his education in business organizational management at John Brown University in Siloam Springs. After some years in the Fayetteville restaurant business, Kolman returned to Rogers in the late 1990s and married his wife, Jessica, who also grew up in Rogers.

This is the first time Kolman has run for political office, and he says it is in part a way to honor his father.

"My dad was a public servant for Rogers for a number of years, that's where the interest blossomed," he said. "I've been around city politics and saw what public service meant, what my dad went through and did for the city. I watched how he managed and promoted it and the good he did for the city."

If elected, Kolman said improvements to infrastructure, quality of life and economic development would remain top priorities by ensuring that road projects are completed on time and on budget, baseball fields and sports facilities get upgraded and continuing to make connections with business owners who could open their operations in Rogers.

Kolman, who coaches son Chance's team, feels strongly about the condition of sports facilities and says that they're falling behind the quality of those in Fayetteville, Springdale and Bentonville.

"Rogers is losing some tournaments at a baseball level and Northwest Park needs improvements," he said. "Our youth soccer is the biggest in Arkansas, but are we giving all kids an opportunity to play and on the best fields? We have room for improvement."

The Rogers Aquatic Center and renovations to Lake Atalanta Park are a start, Kolman said, but hopes to take improvements and upgrades further.

Economic development, community development and quality of life issues are of concern to Carmichael, who says he would use the position to keep the city focused on growing a strong business base to create good paying employment opportunities.

"It makes a difference to me how our community operates and is perceived by those who visit and live here," he said. "My responsibility and focus will be to serve the people of Rogers as a citizen representative. It's incumbent on me to be informed on issues and make good common sense decisions for the good of the people."

Carmichael's campaign website lists his experience working with large budgets and familiarity with financial and accounting standards as one of his greatest strengths that he would bring to the position. The city's budget is approximately $45.6 million.

"We must continue to focus on Rogers as being a destination for business and industry to locate and generate revenues to support current and future bond issues," Carmichael said. "The 2011 bond issue ... all has to be supported by a thriving economy."

Community development efforts would include continued focus on career and technical training, college readiness for schoolchildren and the development of future leaders through various programs, such as Northwest Arkansas Emerging Leaders, Carmichael said.

Jackson is in his third Rogers City Council campaign.

He began his career in hospital administration with Baptist Health, but soon switched careers to pursue law enforcement. In 20 years as a police officer, Jackson served the North Little Rock, Jacksonville and Greenwood police departments. He became Greenwood Police Chief in 2004 and retired in 2011 to take a job with Wal-Mart.

His Wal-Mart career includes positions in cyber IT crimes for Wal-Mart websites and international division in foreign markets. He now works financial integrity cases.

"I understand city government and want to continue to serve the community," Jackson said. "As a police chief (in Greenwood), I attended every city budget meeting and thought, 'This is what I want to do.' I want to serve people with my skill set and add a lot of value to where I live."

Travel required by his former position at Wal-Mart International hindered his ability to be present in Rogers and attend very many council meetings, Jackson said, but his decision to take a more domestic position was intended to make that a priority.

If elected, Jackson said his top priority would be the issue of public safety, an increasing concern in a growing region, as well as affordable housing, public transportation and improved infrastructure.

"Having been a department head for the city, I understand where (other department heads) are coming from and the critical decisions they make, the hours they put into it, the importance of it," Jackson said. "I know that it's work, that you have to be dedicated for and I'm prepared to do that."

Early voting starts Monday. The general election is Nov. 8.

NW News on 10/22/2016

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