By: Colin G. Tetreault
Faculty Associate & Master of Arts, Sustainability
Arizona State University | School of Sustainability
Dear, Future Elected Official,
First and foremost, congratulations. You made it. Take a moment to pat yourself on the back. Your skills, background, and acumen have demonstrated your capacity to make positive change. The citizens of (insert your city/Arizona), look forward to your service. Now, let’s get to work.
You have no small task ahead of you. I know you’re aware – that’s why you ran for office, isn’t it? – that there are pervasive concerns that affect our city/state. Just for posterity, let’s recap some of the issues that we will have no doubt addressed several years from now:
- Nascent alternative energy blossoming into a robust opportunity for economic development and energy security;
- Advancing a sustainable and equitably priced system of water use and availability;
- Redefining what “growth” is in (City/Arizona) to provide for a habitable environment with a vibrant and active culture;
- Preserving our stunning open spaces and parks while making us a leader in environmental tourism;
- Promoting integrated transportation systems that simultaneously foster economic opportunity, while lessening our environmental impact.
We thank you for agreeing to champion – indefatigably, no doubt – our city’s/state’s issues. Your tireless commitment to public service and the greater good will not go unnoticed.
Fret not; you have an entire team at the ready. (Insert City/Arizona) brings you a robust group of individuals, businesses, organizations, and educational systems that are standing by to be your partners in bringing a better tomorrow to fruition. There are stakeholders, who can act as honest brokers of information, that can partner with you in advancing our shared vision.
With the above, we truly believe that you will be able to forge the bonds and alliances that will transcend the political milieu and find a common ground that will benefit all of us. We look forward to not only your strong leadership, but your proactive engagement and specific involvement of us in the process of making (insert city/Arizona) better.
That’s where we stand at the ready; involvement. Leverage that collective capital that is embodied in your constituency. I think that you will be amazed at what we have to offer. As we sincerely want your leadership, we hope that you will equally inspire us to be the agents of our own positive change.
Sincerely,
Your Constituency