Longmont Chamber hosts candidate bootcamp

Update: The Longmont Area Chamber of Commerce, or LACC, has cancelled the candidate bootcamp as of May 12.

"Just one person had signed up, and we wanted to make it valuable for both participants and the speakers," said Scott Cook, LACC CEO. "We've cancelled it for the time being, and we're going to go back to the drawing board. The Longmont Chamber still sees a need for education for candidates on issues that affect Longmont."

Aspiring political candidates in Longmont have an opportunity to attend a candidate bootcamp this month at the Longmont Area Chamber of Commerce, or LACC.

The LACC is hosting their first Candidate Bootcamp in May, in advance of Longmont’s upcoming elections on November 2. The bootcamp is part of the Leadership Longmont program run by LACC.

The education series will address preparing and running for elected office at a local level and  reports from city  staff concerning current issues facing the Longmont City Council during five-session webinar series. . 

The series —built off the Leadership Longmont model developed over the last fifteen years—  shifted its focus toward civic leadership, according to LACC CEO Scott Cook.

“When you’re a city council member, it’s a whole other set of skills from operating a business,” Cook said. “We want to help interested candidates learn how the leadership skills they’ve learned from a business can transfer to being an elected official.”

Among those skills is learning how the city of Longmont is structured. Providing a crash course will be City Clerk, Dawn Quintana, and Longmont City Manager, Harold Dominguez. 

“It’s important for candidates to learn the intricacies of city government, before they run,” Cook said.

Mike Butler, who served as Longmont Public Safety chief for  26 years, focused his presentation for the first on statesmanship and community leadership. In a phone call, he emphasized the need for community engagement, inclusion and equity for anyone interested in civil service. 

“Statesmen are not as worried about the next election as they are about the next generation,” Butler said. “They have great faith in people. They believe in having conversations that count, being good listeners. I think one of the attributes of a statesperson is that they ask powerful questions, instead of just providing answers. Answers typically end conversations, whereas questions can start them or provide the wherewithal to create something new.”

Longmont’s next regular municipal election will be on November 2. Four council seats are open this year, including the mayoral seat. 

Candidates interested in learning more can sign up for the Candidate Bootcamp at the Leadership Longmont website. The deadline is May 14.