Glen Duerr
Credit: Scott Huck
Credit: Scott Huck
Education: Ph.D. political science, Kent State University; M.A. political science, University of Windsor; honors B.A. history and political science, Western University
Current Employment: Cedarville University
Community Involvement: City Council (May 2020-present), Board of Zoning Appeals, Beavercreek Chamber of Commerce, Charter Review committee
Why are you seeking elected office? For the last 17 months, I have enjoyed the privilege of serving on Beavercreek City Council, and I would very much like the opportunity to continue. In my career, I am an associate professor of international studies and political science at Cedarville University and hold a Ph.D. in these disciplines from Kent State University. Moreover, I am actively involved in the community, as a deacon at University Baptist Church (at the intersection of Hanes/Kemp roads) and member/participant in the Beavercreek Chamber of Commerce. My wife, Rebecca, and I have been married for 12 years. Our three children (our son is 7 and our twin daughters are 5) all attend Beavercreek City Schools. All kids swim and play tennis at local clubs in Beavercreek. In our daily lives, we are deeply invested in the Beavercreek community. I see it as an immense privilege to be able to use my skill sets for the service of the community and I greatly enjoy talking with residents to try to solve problems. We have an amazing city and my central goal in seeking political office is to maintain a level of excellence while constantly striving for improvement.
Why should voters elect you? Having served on city council since 2020, I am simultaneously able to bring experience and new ideas to the table. My career and educational background in public policy analysis and quantitative methods/statistics provide a significant asset to the city when discussing financial, zoning and infrastructure issues, among many others. I also have a good background on city issues having served on the Board of Zoning Appeals (2018-2020) and the Charter Review committee (2013-2014). Moreover, having traveled to 35 different nations, I possess an ability to think through the strengths and weaknesses of many different ideas, policy proposals and challenges presented to the city. There are very few “easy” decisions to make on city council, but if you elect me, you will have someone that will listen, read, study and think through every decision item. Furthermore, for every site plan/new business opportunity, I visit the location to see exactly what kind of impact will be felt by the residents. As an active runner, I often physically run to the location to study what change will come to Beavercreek if the site plan is approved. Finally, I have the significant privilege of regularly addressing large groups of people in the classroom, public gatherings, radio, newspapers and television. As such, I frequently talk about Beavercreek, Ohio, and encourage the listeners/readers/viewers to visit shop, and enjoy the chance to visit our great city.
If elected, what will be your top three priorities? 1. Economic development and Zoning 2. Promoting green spaces and 3. Fiscal responsibility. Ultimately, there is no “magic wand” in government, but my overarching goal is to provide top-quality services while keeping taxes as low as possible. These priorities can be achieved by hard work, strong attention to detail and listening to the residents. Beavercreek has a strong record of economic development, attracting new businesses and serving existing ones. All of this provides high paying jobs within Beavercreek so that our residents can raise their families in strong and safe neighborhoods with great schools. Attention to zoning is a key ingredient in economic development because it makes Beavercreek an attractive place to locate. However, zoning is also vital to keeping Beavercreek family friendly and detracting businesses that will hurt the cohesiveness of the society. Although it may sound like a contradiction, it is simultaneously possible to promote economic development and green spaces. Beavercreek has Tree City USA, as well as the Beaver Creek Wetland Association. With the state’s Farmland Preservation Office, there are several ways to maintain contiguous green spaces throughout Beavercreek while also allowing buyers and sellers to develop property as is their right under the Constitution. I also can push for more trees, shrubs and bushes at every site plan, to maintain as much greenery as possible. Finally, Beavercreek regularly wins awards from the Ohio Auditor of State on issues connected to fiscal responsibility. My goal is to keep this high standard while carefully examining how money is spent.
What specific plans do you have to address those top priorities? As the former chair of the Board of Zoning Appeals, I have a strong grasp on the zoning code and how specific wording is vitally important to maintaining a vibrant city that is family friendly. This work is not easy and takes hours of careful study. However, as a career academic who enjoys listening to input from residents, I am well positioned to accomplish these tasks. Economic development is an output that flows from a strong zoning code, but also requires a business friendly city council willing to solve problems. I enjoy the chance to discuss issues in the business community to continually provide new opportunities in our city. On green spaces, there is no panacea to maintaining open, undeveloped areas. It is the right of every property owner to buy and sell within the rules of the zoning code. However, there are several different initiatives, if brought together, that can maintain some green spaces in Beavercreek. The city council regularly tries to obtain lands for parks and recreation, and, in tandem with the Tree City USA and Beaver Creek Wetland Associations, there are ways to maintain green areas even within a city. I am committed to studying ways that green spaces can be preserved, where reasonable to do so. On fiscal responsibility, the hard work is done through judicious study and the asking of many questions. As an academic, these traits come naturally to me.
Anything else? Born and raised in the United Kingdom to an American father and an English mother, I also lived in Canada for a decade earning B.A. and M.A. degrees, before moving to Ohio in 2006 to start a Ph.D. in political science at Kent State University. Whilst a student, I met my wife, Rebecca, who is from Akron. I serves as a professor at Cedarville University, teaching courses on international relations, comparative politics, European politics, and research methods (quantitative and qualitative) among others. In 2016, I was awarded the Faculty Teaching Effectiveness Award at Cedarville University, and, in 2017, won the Southwest Ohio Council for Higher Education’s Faculty Excellence Award. I am the author/editor of three books, and have also published 35 academic journal articles and book chapters. Additionally, I volunteer as a Policy Fellow for the Wallace Institute for Arctic Security (headquartered in Washington D.C.), advocating for a robust American foreign policy in the Arctic. I have conducted over 625 media interviews for local, national and international news outlets. I am a former semi-professional soccer player, and remain active running half-marathons and playing golf.
Joanna L. Garcia
Education: University of Dayton School of Law, J.D.; Ohio State University, B.A.
Current Employment: Discovery attorney manager, WilmerHale
Community Involvement: Beavercreek City Council: vice mayor, 2018 – 2019; representative at large, 2020 – present; Executive Board Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission, 2020 – present; Greene County Family & Children First Committee, 2018 – 2019; Beavercreek Women’s League, member 2018 – present; Leadership Dayton, member, Class of 2021; Greater Dayton Area Diversity & Inclusion Legal Roundtable and University of Dayton School of Law Diverse Mentoring Program, 2020 – present; adviser Chi Omega Fraternity, University of Dayton, 2013-2016; Dayton Bar Association; DBA Leadership Development Program, 2014 Leadership Development Class; Volunteer Lawyer’s Project, 2016 – 2018; DBA Health and Wellness Task Force, 2019 – present; Saint Luke Catholic Church, lector and eucharistic minister, 2013 – present, Parish Council Member, 2015 – 2017, Catechist for Parish School of Religion, 2013 – 2014, 2017; John Pirelli Lodge, Sons of Italy, member 2013 – present, Executive Council recoding secretary, 2015 – 2017
Why are you seeking elected office? When running for council four years ago, this question always surprised me as I thought the answer would be obvious: I live here. I have a vested interest in improving the quality of life for everyone who lives here, and maintaining the high standards of living we currently have. The difference in my answer from then and now is the four years of experience I gained on council. I ran then “thinking” I “could” make a difference in our community. I run today knowing I do make a difference in our community; knowing my voice is heard and respected on council.
Why should voters elect you? While a law student at UD Law School, our curriculum program was called “Lawyer as a Problem Solver.” That is what I do on council: evaluate a problem to find a solution. My last four years on council have allowed me to build relationships with local leaders in our neighboring communities to find the best possible solutions for our city. My legal background and positions on other boards in the community provide me with a unique opportunity on how to find solutions to issues facing our city.
If elected, what will be your top three priorities? When sitting on council bench I cannot and do not vote based on my own personal interests, but based on what is best for our community as a whole. I vote not as an individual, but as a representative of over 50,000 individuals. That is why I am not running on any particular platform. While there are important areas of concern in our community, primarily surrounding infrastructure, the priorities for our community must be driven by our residents.
What specific plans do you have to address those top priorities? To best address the issues of our residents, I intend to continue meeting with them to hear their priorities. This year I started an initiative to attend HOA meetings and meet with residents at their convenience. These meetings allow me to answer residents’ questions, hear their concerns, and work with staff to address those concerns. I look forward to continuing these meetings and conversations. As a city without an income tax, we need to be creative on how we fund projects and maintenance in the community. I work closely with council and staff as the city’s representative on the Executive Board for the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission to discuss grant and other funding opportunities. Additionally, our established relationship with the township allows us to continue to share resources where possible to the benefit of all residents.
Anything else? It has been an honor to serve on council these past four years, first as vice mayor and currently as representative at large, and I look forward to another term serving our residents.
Tiffany Schwartz
No response