Sometimes you don’t know what effect your actions have on something or someone, that on the surface seem unrelated.
Consider this amazing story from the recent Shire of Boddington election held about 125 kms south of Perth.
Unknown to me, a young startup founder, Samreid Manez, decided to run for the recent Council elections in his regional shire of Boddington. He said he’d been inspired by my own run for Lord Mayor of Perth.
“Your announcement [for Mayor] completely turned my preconceptions about local government on their head,” he told me. “I had always thought of [councils] as a closed club of autocrats and the old guard, unwilling to innovate or modernise.”
“After assessing your platform and the amazing reception you received, I realised that things might be changing for the better. A mayor with a modern, innovative mindset would do wonders for our Capital City.”
I’m delighted to report that Sam was duly elected to the Shire of Boddington Council with 81% of the votes cast.
He’s the youngest ever Councillor in the Shire. He’s also the founder and CEO of a startup called ‘ManezCo’, an educational platform for high school students.
Sam and I have never met, but he’d heard about me from an accelerator program run by the organisation I founded, Spacecubed, earlier in the year.
Well done Sam. It’s inspirational to hear your story and I wish you all the best with your service as Councillor to the Shire of Boddington.
Because that is what running for Council or Mayor is all about – serving the community. It’s not some vanity exercise. It’s not about the position. It’s about what you can do with it. It’s about giving back. It’s about doing your bit for others and the community.
I have built a community in Perth over the past 10years. It’s been fantastic to see that community develop, grow and thrive.
As ballot papers are returned in the mail over the coming days, I do ask that Perth residents and businesses consider who is best placed to serve the community. Someone who has done this before, and who will continue to serve in the best interests of the community of Perth.
#LetsLeadChange.
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