Born and raised just outside of London, UK, Duerr is an associate professor of international studies at Cedarville University. He and his wife of 10 years moved to Beavercreek in 2012 after accepting the position at Cedarville. They have three children, a six-year old son, and twin four-year old daughters.
“Glen has shown his desire to serve the community with his service on the Beavercreek board of zoning appeals,” said Beavercreek Mayor Bob Stone. “His profession will bring a bit of international flavor to the Council but most of all he brings his desire to serve our community.”
DDN: What will bring to council?
Duerr: “I have both practical and academic experience that I think will be very useful to the citizens of Beavercreek in my service on City Council. My Ph.D. is in Political Science, and even though my main area of expertise is foreign policy and international relations, my second area of expertise is public policy. I naturally enjoy studying various areas of public policy, many of which pertain to local government. Moreover, I currently serve as the Chair of the Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA), so I have voted on several important decisions regarding cell towers, zoning codes for various types of properties, and local businesses. Prior to my time on the BZA, I served on the Charter Review committee in 2013-2014, so I have had the opportunity to help make improvements to the Charter—for example, we purported a change to directly elect the Mayor of Beavercreek.
Also, I have traveled widely, and I am the author/editor of two academic books. From my travels, I can testify that Beavercreek is a fantastic place to live, but it needs people on City Council to focus on ongoing business development, retain excellence in schools, and tackle local issues. I hope to bring all of these assets to my time on Council.”
DDN: What city projects or challenges are you most excited to tackle?
Duerr: “Business development/retention is a major responsibility of City Council and I am especially excited about building upon the reputation of Beavercreek as a great place to do business. Attracting and retaining jobs is the lifeblood to every community. Additionally, based on my time on the BZA, I believe I can interject some modest changes that will further improve the liveability of the city. Finally, I served as the Vice Chair of my HOA from 2013-2018, and I am excited to investigate “hyper-local” issues that impact neighborhoods. Improvements to daily life can result from even modest changes or protections to a policy on parks, roads, or infrastructure.”
DDN: What unique challenges do you think council will need to figure out going forward this year?
Duerr: “This has been a tumultuous time in the Miami Valley. In my area of Beavercreek, for example, many people are still making repairs and changes as a result of the 2019 Memorial Day tornadoes. COVID-19 presents a twin-threat to society: it is especially difficult as a public health issue, but also presents a fiscal/economic issue — my sense is that we are in the early-middle stages of a recession. One of the most important issues in Beavercreek for the next year or two will be maintaining a balanced budget for the city while simultaneously helping businesses recover, which will help our citizens provide for their families. This is going to be a major area of focus for me.”
DDN: What’s your favorite part about living in Beavercreek?
Duerr: “Beavercreek is a great city in which to raise a family with excellent schools and easy access to numerous restaurants, activities, and opportunities. For example, we count it a major blessing to be able to walk as a family to local restaurants, which allows us to spend quality time together while supporting local businesses. We have also been blessed by our church family at University Baptist Church, where we are able to fellowship and serve alongside members of our community.”
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