Meet Council Candidate Byron Clark
Ward: Ward 5
Website: http://clarkforrochester.com/
Official Bio:
Byron Clark lives in Northeast Rochester with his wife Sarah, their three children, and their dog. Byron works for IBM and manages a team in Rochester MN and Dubuque Iowa as well as an extended team in Manila. Originally from North Dakota, Byron has lived in Rochester for 14 years. He obtained an MBA from North Dakota State University and he brings a fresh perspective to Rochester city leadership.
Byron Clark is a former state representative from North Dakota. He brings a significant amount of experience in government and budgeting to the table. While he was in the legislature, Byron sponsored and passed legislation to develop Fargo’s downtown into a vibrant economic zone. He also worked with first responders to improve emergency response capabilities and sought to provide stability for young families through enhanced childcare options.
When he is not working Byron enjoys spending time with his family, watching his kid’s sporting events, and he also serves as an assistant Scoutmaster. He also enjoys CrossFit, and spending time outdoors. His favorite activities include camping, backpacking, cross-country skiing, and hunting (when he can find time to do it). He is an active parishioner at Zumbro Lutheran Church.
Your key platforms
Safe Neighborhoods
Rochester needs to maintain our reputation as a community that is a great place to raise a family. We need to ensure that we are keeping our residents safe.
Economic Development
Destination Medical Center is growing Rochester’s economy. We need to encourage smart growth while still maintaining our quality of life. We need a downtown that works for all of Rochester.
Effective Government
The city of Rochester is changing quickly. We need government to change as well. We need to invest in new ways of doing business and to ensure that we continue to be responsible stewards of the public trust.
Why should your ward vote for you?
I have spent a lot of time talking to the people of this ward and I have the skills and experience to implement what they are telling me they want done. Rochester is experiencing some growing pains and we need to make sure that all the decisions we are making now are putting us on a good path going forward. Growing a community in a way that increases opportunities for our children while providing for the people today is something I’ve done before. The right development done in the right way can lead to lower property taxes, a better city, and more amenities. Those successes will be part of what inform my decisions if I am lucky enough to be elected to the Rochester City Council.
What do you envision for the future of Rochester?
I see Rochester continuing to be a source of pride for its residents and southeast Minnesota with its world-class healthcare and exceptional community. Yes, Mayo Clinic is terrific. But it is nothing without the nurses, doctors who provide the exceptional care. They, too, are Rochester residents and help make this such a compassionate community.
We have a community that will provide opportunities for people across all walks of life. We need to continue to value our senior citizens and to be mindful of the challenges they face and allow our youth to access successful career opportunities for our city to grow and prosper.
What are your connections to The Mayo Clinic? How do you plan to work with The Mayo Clinic?
I don’t work at Mayo, although my wife does. I would work with Mayo Clinic the same as I would as any other business in town. When there are concerns, Mayo Clinic is welcome to express them to the council.
Mayo Clinic is not just a large business. They save lives every day. I will do whatever I can to ensure they are able to continue their mission of world-class care. But as a City Councilperson, my duty is to the people of the Fifth Ward. Their needs, hopes and desires are what will guide me on how I will vote on a given issue.
What are your connections to the DMC? How do you plan to work with the DMC?
I am not connected to DMC.
DMC is the single largest public-private partnership ever undertaken in the State of Minnesota. We can make one of the greatest cities in the United States even better. I expect that to mean our children will have more opportunities to stay here when they get older. They won’t have to move to the Cities or Chicago or somewhere else.
We need to look at DMC to make sure that the plans work for Rochester. I hear time and again from residents that they don’t feel that their concerns are being heard. They feel that DMC is ‘for the visitors’. This needs to change. While I am mindful of the contribution of visitors to our community, we need downtown Rochester – and DMC - to work for everyone.
How would you address the concerns of citizens about the loss of some of the city's older and potentially historic buildings to new development?
I stand with those who want to balance the needs of keeping what is great about our community with the needs of creating growth and opportunity. While we can’t let the past prevent the future, we also shouldn’t deprive future generations of some of the landmarks that are ingrained in what it means to be “Rochester.” We should strive to provide a healthy mix of preserving our heritage, growing our downtown, while not losing our identity in the process.
Favorite Rochester Moment?
There are so many. I would have to say taking the kids to Dairy Queen on Broadway on the first warm day of summer might have to be first on the list. I have photos of the kids enjoying their welcome to summer treats there every year.
What’s one thing you want the Rochester community to know about you?
I am an idealist. There is not one problem that I think we can’t solve if we just all work together. This is not about us versus them, or anyone. This is our community and if we want a positive future, then we need to make it a place where we can all be successful.
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