My fellow Joplin residents,
My name is Brian Evans, and I am excited to announce my candidacy for Joplin City Council. I’m a strong Christian Conservative and am the proud father of three wonderful children, two boys, and a girl. I am married to an incredible wife who is my rock and foundation. I have been a longtime resident of Joplin, Missouri, and have personally witnessed the incredible growth and resilience of our great city. In fact, I have seen first-hand the strength, courage, and compassion embodied by the residents, especially during the May 22nd tornado which resulted in massive heartache, destruction, and despair throughout our beloved city. Regardless of the devastation, the community showed resilience, pride, and unparalleled compassion for one another!
Sadly, today our city is witnessing a new test of its faith in God, our devotion to one another, and our commitment to making Joplin a safe, fiscally sound, and morally rich community! In fact, in recent days, as inflation has soared, we are beginning to see it hit our poor and middle-class community the most, causing increased financial burdens on the most vulnerable, whether it involves food, housing, transportation, or other costs that have become increasingly burdensome to those who not only live paycheck to paycheck but for the middle classes as well!
I find it heartbreaking to see some within our nation try to divide us… race against race, men against women, old against young, and children against parents! However, this is where Joplin, like many small cities, shines as a beacon to all, as we have one of the most loving, caring, and devoted communities to one another, regardless of race, gender, or personal belief.
If afforded the opportunity to serve the people of Joplin, I would reflect on my own personal experiences, and garner input from all levels of our community, to shape the vision of Joplin.
I have a number of work experiences that have given me a broad foundation to help enrich our great city, such as when I served as a corporate restaurant manager for nearly 6 years, as well as, general manager for a small privately-owned Joplin restaurant. More recently, I have served as a teacher in public schools for over 12 years! Currently, I serve as a 5th-grade teacher in the Joplin School District. I grew up in Neosho, Missouri, and worked in my father’s small dentistry business, learning the challenges that small business owners face in the day to day operations. In addition, growing up in a small town, I learned the value of not only a cities growth and prosperity, but also preserving small-town values, which are many times ignored or forgotten in the hustle and bustle of a growing city.
My life and work experiences have given me clarity to the challenges that both corporate and small businesses share, but especially how small businesses today struggle for survival in a world of increasing online sales, and fiscal disadvantages that they have in relation to their billion-dollar corporations. In all my management experiences, I have opened and managed multi-million dollar inventories, sales, staffing schedules, and the challenges it brings to the table. I dealt personally with public relations, and as an educator, I learned to create a new generation of doctors and lawyers, builders and plumbers, mechanics and scientists, and a citizenry who understands the importance of citizenship!
Today, I personally know what it means to lose a job, be thrown into unemployment lines, live paycheck to paycheck, budget and save, and dig myself from having nothing to thriving, and finally being able to give back to our community! I learned that hard work and perseverance pay off whether in college, trade school or in apprenticeships!
I found the rewards of giving to the children of this community through not only education, but through love, compassion, and making parents a key part of a child’s education at home, and in school!
Now, I hope to give back to our community on a broader scale, as I see it as not only a blessing but a reward, as I can help out not only in the classroom but at every level of our community! If our citizens decide to give me the honor of serving on the city council, I will continue my fight for public safety in Joplin by giving the Police and First Responders the tools and pay that recruits and retains officers, firefighters, and EMT’s! I would work with small businesses to ensure that they have every possible resource and opportunity to be successful in a world of growing online and corporate sales! I will fight to find every possible way to help local businesses amid staffing shortages and to help Joplin residents be able to return to work, and all while putting our first responders as a high priority! I will fight for our resident’s constitutional rights and freedoms, and ensure that I fight to protect our citizen’s right to work and freedom of choice in all areas including education and healthcare! In addition, I will utilize my knowledge base and skills to find new ways to re-invigorate and propel our economy forward, especially small businesses. Finally, I want to ensure that Joplin continues to have that small-town feel, where kindness, friendship, and compassion are doled out in aces, yet ensure that Joplin grows in ways that create a stable and robust economy!
Therefore, I am asking for your help! I could use your support, which could involve financial contributions to my campaign, volunteering, and most importantly voting on April 5, 2022. Thank you for your time, and I look forward to serving you on our 2022 Joplin City Council.
Brian Evans, City Council Candidate
Brian Evans for Joplin 