March 20 – Name: Tom Mawald
Website: linkin.com/in/tommahowald
Age: 66
Family: I live in the Netherlands with my wife Don Mahold. I have two sons: Matt Moald (lives) in Boston and Mark Mowald (lives) in Denver.
How long have you lived in the Netherlands: Three years
Professional background: consultant in the guide
Political/Social Experience: Founding member of the board of directors at Summit Middle School in Boulder, member of the board of directors for the Dutch Districts Amendment and member of the Envision 2030 project in the Netherlands
Qualifications: BA in Finance from the University of Colorado Boulder and MBA from Arizona State University’s Thunderbird School of International Studies.
What attracts you to public services in the Netherlands? (I was touched) Gary, Mayor Chris Larsen. Also inspired by the opportunities we identified in the Envision 2030 process.
Cross and Caribou mines have been in the news recently. What do you think of the government’s role in an issue that controls a government agency but affects the city’s residents?
At the district level, water and air safety is taken care of by a highly committed team. Since many jobs were created locally in the mine, the Netherlands was able to increase sales tax significantly during the recession, and we appreciate that. At the urban level, we need to take care of more local issues such as traffic, road erosion and any safety issues around the mine. I am confident that the next board can resolve this matter as we maintain an open and fruitful dialogue with the mine operators. They have pledged to be the first carbon neutral mining operation in the United States.
If elected, what can the board of directors do to maintain and improve community confidence in the wake of recent redemptions?
We have some really important opportunities to redevelop downtown, rationalize municipal law, negotiate an intergovernmental agreement with Boulder County, revive our festivals and cultural activities, and infrastructure improvements, including a second security bridge on both sides of Boulder Creek East. None of this will happen without community support for these efforts, and this requires transparency and participation from our citizens. Trust arises from existing transparency and participation. This is what we will focus on.
