I sent the following letter to the editor this week.  It is actually about our local mayoral race in my hometown where our corporate headquarters is located.  So why publish it here?  Why is it relevant?  Because it illustrates two critical concepts I believe are worth sharing: that if you have a strong leader, you better be willing to work on their behalf & it takes a combination of leaders to succeed, not just one person.  In our small town, we have a magic moment of having strong leadership in our educational institutions, city government, both staff and elected, economic development organizations and many local businesses.  This combination is working harmoniously towards great success.  Previously, the leadership set was not collectively strong, which did not lead towards strong success in actions.

True leadership involves risk.  Some financial, but in most cases it is personal credibility and reputation.  At its core, your leadership is your influence.  In this case I am trying to use my influence for what I believe to be the greatest good, but there are no guarantees.  However, sometimes you have to be willing to take some level of risk in order to achieve results.  In this case, I am willing to take a risk in order to support strong leadership, which is a worthy cause.

Dear Editor,

I am supporting Mayor Hank Ross in his bid for re-election because I sincerely believe he will keep Chickasha moving forward. Having served under him while on the City Council and alongside him as I served as Chairman of the Economic Development Council I have seen his leadership close up. I have witnessed how he selected priorities for the City to pursue. I have seen him encourage and empower staff to achieve great results. I have seen him doggedly pursue these priorities through to completion. I have also seen him raise expectations when the work was not up to the standards our community deserves.

When I look at Chickasha, it is impossible to deny the momentum and accomplishments. This is widespread in all critical aspects. Significant progress has been made in infrastructure, roads and water, public policy, education, healthcare, economic development, housing, retail, parks, and community pride. It is being noticed all across Oklahoma!

I believe Chickasha to be in a blessed moment, having strong leaders in the critical public serving organizations in all sectors including city government, economic development, education and healthcare. This leadership includes the mayor that has already served us well and I hope will be selected to serve another term.

Wishing the best for Chickasha,

Ryan Posey