Jeffrey Whittaker is seeking a seat on Florence City Council two years after running for the Boone County Board of Education.
Whittaker has spent much of his career working for Dow in Carrollton. He currently serves as a predictive and preventive maintenance coordinator, working with engineers and maintenance professionals on inspection and maintenance programs at the company’s facility. His work took him across the world, where he spent seven years in Zhangjiagang, China on an assignment.
“Trust in government has declined across our nation. While I can’t change Washington, I can help make local government more transparent and accountable,” he wrote on his campaign website. “I will work to ensure city our government is open, accessible, and responsive to the people it serves. My decisions will always be guided by what is best for Florence—not by special interests or outside influence.”
Earlier in his life, Whittaker volunteered with the Florence Fire Department and became a certified emergency medical technician. He said that experience helped shape his emphasis on public safety and ensuring Florence’s police, fire, emergency medical services and public works employees have the resources needed to respond to emergencies.
Whittaker has also identified the city’s commercial areas as a priority. He said Florence should continue investing in itself to prevent vacant storefronts and declining shopping centers and keep its retail corridors competitive.
Government transparency and accountability are another focus of his campaign. Whittaker said his professional experience taught him to approach problems based on available facts and to consider the financial implications of certain decisions.
LINK nky contacted Whittaker with questions about his background, priorities and reasons for seeking office but did not receive a response before publication.