ANSWERS TO ESSAY QUESTIONS FOR JOHN STAFFORD
I am running for state representative because I believe the process of establishing policy and law for the state has a strong impact on the nature and quality of life within the state, and I believe my background and abilities will enable me to make a strong contribution to this process. I have a desire to use my abilities in this manner.
Additionally, I believe the ability to develop and evaluate potential legislation in a relatively objective and dispassionate manner is an uncommon ability, and I believe I have the ability to serve effectively using this approach.
An important characteristic of the position of state legislator is the need to consistently apply strong, fact-based analysis to evaluate legislative proposals. I believe my experience as a consultant in analyzing and evaluating businesses will be valuable in this area.
A second valuable characteristic is the importance of integrity in the development of one’s views – not just adopting a platform because it will be popular. I believe being independent minded and open about my views are strengths of mine.
Another important characteristic is the representation of people from a wide variety of backgrounds and with very different (and often conflicting) interests. I believe the varied nature of my background are assets in this area.
The first area of accomplishment of which I am proud is athletics. I played varsity basketball for two years in high school and junior varsity basketball for one year in college. I was the captain of my team at both levels. I played varsity tennis for three years in high school.
Second, I am proud of my achievements as a management consultant. I worked for Strategic Planning Associates, a management consulting firm that advises large corporations on business strategy based in Washington, D.C., from 1984 to 1991. I started as a research analyst and was later promoted four times to become a vice president and partner of the firm. I was the third person in the history of the firm to move from research analyst to the career track and eventually to partner without attending business school.
Third, I am proud of my periodic contributions as a volunteer for various organizations, which are described in detail below.
In this section, I will describe the times when I have volunteered to provide community service.
While at Dartmouth College, I was a weekly volunteer at the Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center one evening per week for roughly three months (1982). I served as a big brother for a high-school student from a town near Hanover, NH for roughly six months (1983). I volunteered one day per week to provide athletic coaching for a community center in New York City during a summer when I worked as an intern for a commercial bank (1983). I organized and participated in a charity basketball game between the African-American Society and the Fraternity League to raise money for a food bank (1984).
In Washington D.C., I worked to provide janitorial services one night per week at a homeless shelter for roughly three months (1988). I worked one night per week for roughly three months as a reading tutor for children at a junior high school (1991). I organized a vaccination program to check the vaccination records of people in a section of Washington, D.C. and arrange for their subsequent immunizations in areas where they were deficient (1995). I volunteered one day per week at a detention center for roughly three months (1995).
In Seattle, I worked one day per week as a mathematics tutor at Garfield High School for roughly three months (1993). I worked as a basketball coach at the Queen Anne Community Center for two seasons (1992 and 1993).
A state legislator is charged with representing the constituents of his/her district to develop, evaluate, and vote upon legislation that best serves the state, and to communicate the results of this process to his/her constituents. I will segment the responsibilities that accompany this job into three categories: ethical, visionary, and execution-related.
A legislator has a responsibility to conduct their affairs in accordance with a high standard of ethical conduct. This includes observing basic laws and values, but also includes following other principles, such as ensuring that the individual remains free from unreasonable influence from donors and others with an interest in the state’s legislation.
A legislator should also have clear positions on a range of issues that comprise his/her vision for the state. A legislator should be open and candid about his/her views – both during the campaign and while in office, and should have integrity in the development of these positions rather than adopt a platform because it is deemed to be palatable.
Once elected, execution-related duties include developing ideas for meaningful legislation, working with colleagues to develop specific legislative bills, analyzing and evaluating a range of bills to develop meaningful positions on each, working to communicate with and influence colleagues to support or oppose specific pieces of legislation, and communicating the results of this process with constituents.
I believe I can effectively handle each of the above responsibilities. Ethically, I consider myself highly honest, straightforward and independent minded. With respect to vision, I believe I have already developed a meaningful platform, and work to communicate this to voters in a direct manner. And regarding execution, I believe my ten years experience as a management consultant and the breadth of my experiences will enable me to develop ideas for legislation, develop specific proposals, analyze bills to develop meaningful positions, and communicate the results of the process with my constituents.
EDUCATION
M.A., Teaching, St. Martin’s College, 2000
B.A., History, Dartmouth College, 1984
Diploma, Bellevue High School, 1980
CIVIC INVOLVEMENT
1995 Washington, D.C. Detention Center Weekly Volunteer
1995 Washington, D.C. Northwest Part Of City Vaccine Coordinator
1992-93 Seattle, WA Queen Anne Comm. Center Basketball Coach
1993 Seattle, WA Garfield High School Mathematics Tutor
1991 Washington, D.C. St. Francis Jr. High Reading Tutor
1988 Washington, D.C. Homeless Shelter Janitorial Volunteer
1984 Hanover, NH Dartmouth Campus Charity Game Leader
1983 New York City Community Center Athletic Volunteer
1983 Hanover, NH Local Area Big Brother
1982 Hanover, NH Hitchcock Medical Center Weekly Volunteer