Black invests in all people

I met Michael Black six years ago as a local high school junior simply looking for a professional’s perspective. At the time, I lacked the skill-set of a typical employee. After hours of conversation, I left Michael’s studio with an internship that would later turn into a full-time position and then place me on a career path with confidence.

In these six years of knowing Michael I have seen him fill many shoes: business owner, artist, mentor, father, coach and more. I say this not to point out that he is a man of many talents but to speak on the way he handles these roles and people involved.

It takes only seconds when conversing with Michael to feel truly valued. You can feel it in how he listens. The core values of his campaign — inclusivity, mindfulness, empathy, creativity and vibrancy speak to the essence of Michael himself and I have watched him embody each of them.

Michael possesses a very business-oriented mind balanced with kindness of building and maintaining relationships. This rare combination allows for mayoral responsibilities to be handled strategically with effectiveness and measurability as well as with creativity, open-mindedness and fun way of engaging with colleagues.

This is the man you need for mayor. A man who invests in all people, leads well, loves Happy Valley and wants to make it an even better town. He will be an active leader of the community. Join me and vote for Michael Black.

This story was originally published October 31, 2017 at 8:21 PM with the headline "Black invests in all people."