Springfield City Council appoints Andrew Lear to vacant seat

(From the City of Springfield)

Andrew Lear has been named City Council’s newest member, appointed to fill General Seat C. He will hold this seat until the April 2, 2019 election.

City Council interviewed seven finalists Tuesday and selected Lear with five votes in one round of voting. Finalist AJ Exner received two votes and finalist Theresa Martin received one vote. Lear is a retired partner of BKD, CPAs & Advisors. He is a certified public accountant.

Lear is a product of Springfield Public Schools, having attended Wilder, Pershing and Glendale and received a Bachelor of Science in Business majoring in accounting and business administration from the University of Kansas.

He has served in various board service capacities, included the Springfield Family Y, the Developmental Center of the Ozarks, Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce and the Springfield Business and Development Corporation. He served as the initial chairman of the Civility Project and is active in various arts organizations.

“I’m really grateful to have the opportunity to work in whatever way I can to help the City reach its potential. This is my lifelong home and I would like to see it continue to thrive for the next generation,” Lear said.

The seven finalists submitted answers to the following list of questions, prior to the interview session:

1) What is your short-term and long-term vision for the City of Springfield?
2) What are the City's strengths, and how would you build upon them?

3) Among the challenges faced by the City is the need for adequate revenue to deal with issues such as public infrastructure, sidewalks, nuisance properties, etc. What are your specific suggestions and approaches regarding those and other challenges?

4) What would you like to see accomplished by the time you leave Council?

The finalists and their answers are linked below:

Amy Champlin
Kevin Evans

AJ Exner

Andrew Lear
Theresa Martin

Natalie McGuire
Charles Pettijohn

In Tuesday’s interview session, available online at CityView.Springfieldmo.gov, finalists were asked:

1) Please provide a brief summary of your background and why you are interested in this position.

2) Our community is facing several opportunities and challenges, which we as a Council must address. Transportation, infrastructure, low wages, workforce training, economic vitality, public safety, and legislative engagement are just a few examples of these issues. What are your thoughts on City Council’s role and responsibilities in solving these problems?

3) Please discuss your abilities and desires to work collegially with other Council members as a team – respecting the differences in approach and philosophies which occur among Council members, while at the same time, working together to achieve our shared goal of a strong and prosperous Springfield.

Amy Champlin presented her responses in writing.