Great Falls Area Chamber of Commerce

13 Great Falls Area Chamber of Commerce www.greatfallschamber.org First, thank you for the honor and the privilege of doing what I love in such a community as dynamic and special as Great Falls. I often reflect on a quote from former President Teddy Roosevelt, "Far and away, the best prize that life has to offer is a chance to work hard at work worth doing." I consider myself extremely lucky to be one of those President Roosevelt referred to. As the Planning and Community Development Director, I am responsible for ensuring that Great Falls continues to grow and improve thoughtfully, practically, and collaboratively. I have prepared for this role by previously serving as the Community Development Director for the City of Mountain Home, ID, City Planner for the City of Twin Falls, ID, and an Assistant City Planner for the City of Meridian, ID. I have also earned a Master's Degree in Bioregional Planning & Community Design and a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science. As a member of the Great Falls team, I am excited to be a part of our city's progress during this time of growth and opportunity. One of our primary goals is to update the City's Growth Policy, also known as "The People's Plan," which serves as a roadmap for our future. To accomplish this, we need to work together and communicate with residents, builders, developers, and other community partners. I look I am a 4th generation Montana guy, born in Bozeman. I graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Architecture at MSU-Bozeman and commissioned through the Air Force ROTC program. Last year, after a 28-year active duty Air Force career as a Civil Engineer officer, I transitioned back to my amazing home state. I am a firm believer that everyone N E W C O M E R S Dear City of Great Falls forward to hearing from and collaborating with every member of our community. Additionally, we are currently conducting an audit of our current development review process to ensure that we continue to provide exceptional value to those with whom our department interacts. I want to extend my gratitude for the welcome and kindness that has been shown to me and my family. We are grateful to be a part of this wonderful community. If we have not met yet and you would like to, please feel free to email me at bcherry@greatfallsmt.net or call me at 406-455-8530. Having met many of our community partners, I'm convinced that there's nothing we can't accomplish when we work together. Brock Cherry, Planning and Community Development Director Hello Fellow Montanans! should serve in some capacity, so I am very thankful for the opportunity to continue to serve in my current role as the City's Public Works Director. I bring to my current role extensive and diverse experience in leadership, mission support and facility infrastructure, as well as three Master's degrees. I've led and been a part of numerous organizations and have served and lived all over the world, from Japan to Germany to Afghanistan, to name just a few locations. To borrow from a certain commercial, I know a thing or two because I've seen a thing or two…but, I'll also be the first to say I have a lot to learn. Throughout my life, personally and professionally, I've lived by Theodore Roosevelt's statement every day. Here's a shortened version: "it's not the critic who counts…..the credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood…" This certainly applies in Public Works, where our 130-member team provides essential water and sewer utilities, a transportation network, sanitation services and City fleet maintenance, which are an integral part of the foundation for the "Great" in 'Great Falls.' We do this through our core beliefs, which are GREAT: Grow, Respect, Educate, Accountability and Teamwork. And our vision is that Great Falls will have reliable, efficient, innovative, and fiscally sustainable Public Works infrastructure and services, thus enhancing its citizens' quality of life. I look forward to using my experience and knowledge to continue to execute our mission and achieve our vision for the citizens of Great Falls. Again, it's great to be back in Big Sky Country. I look forward to seeing people in our re-energized downtown, and seeing you on our hiking or mountain biking trails. And by the way, I am a Grizzly fan every day of the year except when they play the Cats! Go Cats! Christoff Gaub, Public Works Director

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