The Madison Messenger distributed requests for information to all candidates who will appear on the Nov. 4 election ballot in Madison County. The information is printed below as it was received. For more information about the election, call the Madison County Board of Elections at 740-852-9424.
State Representative – 84th District
• Connie Crockett (Democrat)
Address: 611 Xenia Ave., Yellow Springs
Occupation: Program associate, Kettering Foundation
Previous service as a public official: Six years on the Village Council of Yellow Springs.
Education and/or military experience: I have a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Dayton.
Community activities/honors: Currently a member of the Glen Helen Ecology Institute Board and Greene County Democratic Party Executive Committee. Formerly a member of the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission, Greene County Regional Planning Commission, Springfield Airport Plan Board, Yellow Springs Environmental Commission, Cable Advisory Board and Yellow Springs Planning Commission.
Major issues in this election:
Ohio must make a greater effort to be a state that can keep and attract young people with fresh ideas, people who want to start businesses, marry and raise children here. I will work to create new jobs by reducing excessive paperwork on small businesses, and I will seek and promote governmental efficiencies through regional cooperation.
As your state legislator, I will stand in opposition to huge foreign mega-dairies and other corporate livestock operations that threaten our good groundwater and sicken the air. Family farms add to Ohio’s good quality of life, and I will always work on their behalf.
• Robert D. (Bob) Hackett (Republican)
Address: 2050 Palouse Dr., London
Occupation: Madison County commissioner. Financial planner, Central Ohio Financial Mgmt. Group
Previous service as a public official: Madison County commissioner (2001-2008), completing second term.
Education and/or military experience: Graduate London High School. B.A. in economics, Columbia University. CLU – American College. ChFC (chartered financial consultant) – American College.
Community Activities/Honors: Choctaw Lake Board of Directors (past president), London County Club (past president), St. Patrick’s Parish, Madison County Farm Bureau, Madison County Historical Society, Madison County Hospital Board, Mercator Club, London Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee, Madison County Farmland Preservation Task Force. Awards and honors include: athletic captain of undefeated football team; all-Ivy League and top scholar award, Columbia University football team; member of London H.S. Athletic Hall of Fame;
Major issues in this election:
1. Improve the economy and bring more jobs to Ohio. I will work toward improving the business environment in order to attract more new companies and to keep our existing companies.
2. Improve the existing tax system in Ohio. Our citizens and businesses are taxed too much. I will work hard to bring needed increased revenues by improving the economy, not by increasing taxes.
3. Decrease rising healthcare costs. Healthcare premiums are not affordable to many small businesses and their employees. As a county commissioner, I worked with many other counties to band together and set up a self-insured health care consortium that now has 18 counties as members. I am president of that consortium, which saves both county employees and Ohio taxpayers over $2 million annually.
Madison County Coroner
• James W. Kaehr, M.D. (Republican)
Address: 214 Elm St., London
Occupation: Family medicine physician; Madison County coroner.
Previous service as public official: I am currently serving as the Madison County coroner. Honoring the request of the former coroner, Dr. Martin Markus, I accepted appointment to this office in April 2007 after Dr. Markus passed away.
Education/Military Experience: High school diploma from Northwestern (Clark County) High School. B.S. in electrical engineering and Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) from The Ohio State University. Family medicine residency (board certified) completed at University Hospital of Cleveland.
I am a designated U.S. Naval flight surgeon. My tours of duty have included combat operations with the U.S. Marine Corps in Kosovo (1999) and Iraq (2004).
Community Activities/Honors: I am currently the secretary/treasurer for the medical staff at Madison County Hospital. My military honors include an Air Medal with Strike/Flight award and two Navy Commendation medals.
Major issues in this election: I intend to continue serving our community and supporting law enforcement by maintaining the same traditions of professionalism and fiscal responsibility upheld by Dr. Bacon and Dr. Markus. Furthermore, I am working to modernize the coroner’s office by importing key case information into a computer-based system. This process will make coroner records more amenable to conducting research and identifying the greatest risks to the lives of Madison County citizens.
Madison County Engineer
• David P. Brand (Republican)
Address: 95 Richmond Ave., London
Occupation: Madison County Engineer
Employer: Madison County
Previous service as public official: Madison County engineer (2001-present). Republican Central Committee (2000- present).
Education: B.S. civil engineering, University of Cincinnati (1989). Masters coursework in public administration, University of Dayton (1998-2000).
Community/Professional Activities: Through my role as county engineer, I actively participate in a large number of community organizations as either a member or technical advisor. I also have the following elected or appointed roles: president-elect of the London Rotary Club, board member of Junior Achievement of the Mad River Region, board member of the County Engineers Association of Ohio (representing the eight county engineers in ODOT-Dist. 6), and board member of the National Association of County Engineers (representing all 88 county engineers in Ohio). I also serve on and/or chair a number of professional and technical committees on the state and national level.
