My husband and I had the pleasure of attending the campaign kick-off event for Steve Fields running for the position of Redmond mayor. The event was held June 25 at the Downpour Coffee Bar in Redmond (Bridle Trails).

According to campaign manager Matt Yoo, 120 people were in attendance at the event, including former mayor Rosemarie Ives and representatives of business, youth and community enterprises from Redmond and Kirkland. Fields was actively meeting and talking to the attendees, as was his wife Ronni and son Jackson.

Several Redmond residents spoke at the event; Mitchell Heunish and Anthony Casanas, who know Fields from basketball and scouting; also David DeYoung of Redmond Business Showcase, Julie Wheadon and Tom Hinman.

DeYoung spoke about the need for the City of Redmond to embrace small businesses; something the current administration has shunned. DeYoung stated that small businesses make up nearly 80 percent of business activity in Redmond, yet the focus of the city remains mainly on large corporations and multi-state companies and businesses. Fields is a small-business owner and is conscious of the needs and opportunities that small businesses in Redmond provide to residents and community.

Hinman, currently affiliated with Imagine Overlake, Eastside Sustainable Business Alliance and Sustainable Redmond, spoke regarding reliable and honest communication between the city administration and residents/community. He cited both the Overlake Corridor expansion/Group Health site and the recent Nokomis Building dispute as examples of the city’s longstanding disregard for resident and community input for growth in Redmond.

Wheadon is the club manager at Central Park Tennis Club in Kirkland and a longtime resident of Redmond. She met Fields through family tennis lessons at Central Park, and during his term on the board at the club, where he was instrumental in a building campaign that financed the construction of a larger building for the club.

Art Olson, CPA and Solution Architect at PC Bennett Consulting also spoke.

Fields is a very personable man who has coached and been involved in youth basketball and baseball teams as well as Boy Scouts and other community organizations in Redmond. Fields’ LinkedIn profile lists a variety of accomplishments and business experiences, including regional finance manager at both Nextel and Western Wireless, supervisor at King County Office of Policy Strategy and Department of Executive Services, co-owner of Down Pour Coffee Bar LLC and other small and large companies.

Candidate Field’s campaign focuses on the idea that what happens in Redmond affects all of us. Our city currently has numerous looming developments and no real vision. There is little balance between government goals and taxpayer priorities; these objectives should align. Health and quality of life provides healthy environments for community and residents. Small businesses are important to the structure and cohesiveness of any community, including Redmond. Fields was joined by his campaign manager Yoo and is represented by Kathy Allen for public relations.

Join me in voting for a positive change in the way that Redmond is governed. Vote for Fields as mayor of Redmond on Nov. 3 in the general election.

Paige Norman

Redmond