MEET JIM CURD
Nearly Five Decades in Bartlesville Changes the Way You See a City.
[PHOTO: An older photograph of Jim in Bartlesville, early Dink's photograph, or Jim and Kacy from this period. Avoid a modern campaign portrait here.]
When I came to Bartlesville in 1980, I couldn't have known just how much of my life would eventually become connected to this community.
This is where Kacy and I built our life and raised our family. It's where I built businesses, hired employees, coached kids, volunteered, served on the City Council and eventually had the privilege of becoming Mayor.
Along the way, Bartlesville became much more than the place where I lived.
It became home.
[PHOTO: Jim at Dink's, preferably working or interacting with employees/customers. Historical imagery would be especially strong.]
Business Taught Me to Find Workable Solutions
For decades, Dink's Pit Bar-B-Que and Sterling's Grille have given me a front-row seat to the realities of doing business in Bartlesville.
Running a restaurant means making payroll, managing rising costs, hiring and keeping good people, listening to customers, making investments and occasionally taking a risk without knowing exactly how things will turn out.
It also teaches you pretty quickly that talking about a problem and solving one are two very different things.
I've been incredibly fortunate to have people work alongside me for 15 and 20 years or more, and thousands of customers have walked through our doors. Those relationships have taught me as much about this community as anything I've ever done at City Hall.
Government and business aren't the same, but I believe both benefit from a practical approach: understand the problem, listen to the people affected by it, know what you can afford and find a workable solution.
That's the approach I've tried to bring to City Hall.
[PHOTO: Historical Council/community photograph paired with a current photograph. A THEN/NOW treatment would work extremely well here.]
Service Gave Me Another View of Bartlesville
My involvement with the City didn't begin with my current service on the Council.
I served on the City Council and as Vice Mayor in the 1990s alongside Mayor Harvey Little. I've been involved in economic development, youth baseball, parks and other community efforts, and years later I had the opportunity to return to the Council and eventually serve as Mayor.
That history has allowed me to see Bartlesville from a lot of different perspectives: as a resident, employer, taxpayer, volunteer, councilor, Vice Mayor and Mayor.
More importantly, I've had the opportunity to see what happens to decisions over time.
Some investments pay dividends for decades. Some problems don't have quick solutions. Sometimes the best decision isn't the most exciting one. And sometimes leadership simply means taking care of what we already have while preparing for what comes next.
[PHOTO: Jim listening to residents or working with a group. Candid rather than podium/political imagery.]
This Job Is Bigger Than Any One Person
I've never believed a mayor builds a city.
People build cities.
Bartlesville is built every day by the people who live here, the business owners who take risks, the employees who go to work, the teachers who educate our kids, the first responders who keep us safe and the volunteers who give their time without expecting recognition.
City government has an important role, but we're only one part of it.
My job is to listen, ask questions, bring people and ideas together and help find practical ways forward.
We're not always going to agree. I don't expect us to. I've been around long enough to know that disagreement is part of getting important things done.
What matters is that we can disagree, respect one another and keep working toward the same goal:
A stronger Bartlesville.
[PHOTO: Jim and Kacy/family. This is the place for warmth and personality rather than campaign imagery. A smaller photo of Amos and Gus would fit naturally here.]
The Guy Behind the Title
Long before "Mayor" appeared in front of my name, I was simply Jim.
Kacy and I have been married for more than four decades. We raised two sons, Austin and Landon, and our family has grown to include two wonderful daughters-in-law and four grandchildren.
Then there are Amos, our pound dog, and Gus, our yellow Lab who seems to live by a permanent "what have you done for me lately?" philosophy.
They're part of the story too.
Because when the Council meeting ends and the title goes away, Bartlesville is still home.
It's where our boys grew up. It's where our businesses grew. It's where longtime customers became friends and where our family has built a life.
Why I Want to Keep Serving
I've watched Bartlesville change considerably over the years.
Some of our challenges have changed with it. Others are remarkably familiar.
We still need businesses to invest here and jobs that allow people to build good lives. We need streets and infrastructure we can depend on, strong public safety, responsible management of taxpayer dollars and a community that gives young families a reason to choose Bartlesville.
And there are opportunities ahead of us that we probably haven't imagined yet.
I'm not running because I believe I have all the answers. I don't.
I'm running because nearly five decades in Bartlesville have taught me the value of listening, asking the right questions, bringing good people together and finding workable solutions.
Bartlesville has given my family and me a great deal over the years. Serving this community is one way I can give something back.
There is more to do, and I'd be honored to keep doing my part.