LEAD Candidate Endorsement: Jolene Loetscher

LEAD will release several candidate endorsements between now and November. These endorsements are chosen via votes within our leadership team and are prioritized for candidates who are running for the first time, identify as women (with an emphasis on women of color), and whose platforms appear to support our values of Inclusion, Civility, Action, Social Justice, and Empowerment.

We’re really excited about these motivated, passionate candidates. We’re especially excited to see all of the work LEAD has done to recruit and train candidates for office come to fruition. Let’s change South Dakota.

We’re thrilled to endorse Jolene Loetscher for Mayor of Sioux Falls. We’ve asked Jolene a few questions below. Vote for her on April 10 and bring three friends with you.

How do you represent LEAD’s core values?

Sioux Falls has been the City of Opportunity for myself and so many others. LEAD’s core values reflect what citizens also want in our city for the future: inclusion, civility, action, social justice, and empowerment. We’ve committed to a Mayor’s Office that embraces diversity and inclusion, which includes our LGBTQ community and those who may come from different faith beliefs or backgrounds. That includes a commitment to establish a Chief Diversity Officer role. It’s also knowing that as a community, we need city leadership that understands that when we act for the greater good, it is not just the morally right thing to do, but also economically makes Sioux Falls stronger. As companies and individuals look to move or stay in Sioux Falls, it’s vital that we be a city that empowers the voices of all.

What will you do differently than your predecessors?

We will ensure a more open, transparent and trusted City Hall. We’ll be sure our decisions are not lead by the need to please big money donors, but instead driven by the power of big ideas to create a path forward. That includes increasing communication and access to leadership through Facebook Live events with the Mayor’s office and Facebook Live streaming city council meetings. While making decisions with the public’s money in public, also providing one-page summaries for how and why a decision is beneficial to the citizens and what their return on the investment will be (monetary and opportunity cost).

What do you want LEAD’s membership to know about you?

There’s a new era ahead of us in Sioux Falls. And that’s going to require new leadership that understands and hears the voices of all members of our community.

I’m a 39-year-old mom that’s never run for political office before. I’ve created two successful companies and advocated as a citizen for changes to legislation to protect our children and families from some of the worst crimes — child abuse. I know the power of role modeling for my daughter what it means to make your city stronger because you believe in her potential and the power of others to create even more opportunities than Sioux Falls has given me.

ABOUT LEAD SOUTH DAKOTA

LEAD South Dakota is a registered 501c(4) nonprofit.  LEAD (Leaders Engaged And Determined) is a grassroots organization aimed at bringing awareness to issues facing South Dakota, the United States, and abroad. LEAD exists to foster a community of individuals who empower and encourage women to be actively involved in all stages of the political process in order to effect positive change for women and families in South Dakota.

LEAD is not affiliated with any political party or organization. We are welcoming and inclusive of all people, regardless of race, age, religion, ethnicity, national origin, color, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation, or citizenship.