Servant leader Jamie Smith right choice for Sioux Falls mayor
When I met Jamie Smith 18 years ago, the first thing he told me was that he wanted our church to host a neighborhood corn feed. I was just hired as the head pastor at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, and Jamie and his family were some of the first parishioners I’d met.
At that time, Jamie was the president of our congregation and wanted to find a way to better engage with our neighbors. When we began planning the event, we hoped we could get enough people to eat the food we prepared. On the day of the feed, we had over 200 people from around Sioux Falls in our churchyard enjoying sweet corn, watermelon, and smoked pork sandwiches. Jamie had smoked the pork himself, sliced it, and spent the entire evening serving our neighbors with a smile on his face.
I knew then that Jamie didn’t just talk about servant leadership, he lived it.
Throughout my time as pastor at St. Mark’s, Jamie has been the greatest team player to work with. He’s served in various leadership roles throughout our congregation, helping us through hard times and celebrating with us in the good. He works hard, educates himself on the issues, engages in difficult conversations to mediate problems, and maintains his faith in the team around him. I have no doubt Jamie would be a servant leader in City Hall, and I’m proud to endorse him for mayor of Sioux Falls.
Jamie would make a great mayor because of the way that he engages with people. Whether it’s a lifelong friend or a stranger on the street, Jamie genuinely cares for people of all ages and treats them with dignity and respect. He listens first, always asking curious questions as he validates the person, gets to know their stories and honors their life experiences. We need a mayor who leads from a place of curiosity, someone who gets the best out of people with honor and integrity. Jamie leads with selflessness, treating the people in our community with the same care he extends to his family and friends.
Jamie also isn’t afraid to roll up his sleeves to carry the burden when the going gets tough. Throughout his legislative career, Jamie has dealt with difficult issues head-on and had hard conversations that other leaders might shy away from. To achieve better outcomes for our city and state, Jamie brings everyone to the table to find common ground and doesn’t leave a conversation without finding something that everyone can agree on.
Sioux Falls is a city that’s full of different opinions, and Jamie is someone who will hear everyone’s thoughts before making important decisions that will define our city for years to come.
I know that Jamie is ready to represent the voices of everyone in our city, especially because he’s worked in almost every local industry. Because of his time as a public school teacher and coach, Jamie knows about the transformative power of investing in education. Because of his time in real estate, Jamie understands our housing issues and has plans to improve supply and affordability. Because of his time as a legislator, Jamie knows how to navigate complex politics and make real change in our community.
Jamie has the experience necessary to lead our city, because Jamie Smith has grown with Sioux Falls and knows how to keep our city on the right track.
When Jamie asked if I would endorse him for mayor, I told him that I was just a pastor, not a big-name politician or Sioux Falls CEO. Jamie told me that’s exactly why he wanted my endorsement.
Our city isn’t just politicians and CEOs. Our city is full of humble people who work hard to treat others with dignity, respect and compassion. I know that Jamie Smith is the right person to lead our city as our mayor.
Pastor Lori Hope graduated from seminary in 1996 and began her first call at a three-point parish in Lyman County (Kennebec, Presho and Vivian), South Dakota. She has been serving as pastor of St. Mark's Lutheran since April 2008 and has three sons.
Photo: Smith, from his Facebook page
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