[RP TownTalk] Accomplishments by Ken Laureys, County Council candidate-TownTalk

[Ken Laureys]

Dear Riverdale Park neighbors on the TownTalk email forum:

My name is Ken Laureys and I'm running to represent you on the Prince
George's County Council for District 3 in Tuesday's Democratic Primary
(polls open 7 am - 8 pm).

While many of you know me from my two decades as a civically active
Riverdale Park resident, there are many newer residents who may not know
about my efforts to build our town and surrounding neighborhoods into a
better place for us all.

Below are some highlights of my community activism, policy platform and
career accomplishments, including my present position as Deputy Director of
the County Office of Community Relations.

Please review my record of delivering results, and obtain more detailed
information on my Campaign Website:  www.TimeForKen.com

As my campaign slogan says, it's Time For Change!

Thank you for considering my candidacy to continue working with you towards
fulfilling our town's and county's promising future!

Ken Laureys
4718 Riverdale Rd
Riverdale Park, MD  20737

Dist. 3 County Council Candidate
C:  240-304-8996
H:  301-779-1034
K.Laureys at Comcast.Net
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Ken Laureys: Town, County & National Civic Service

Volunteer Community Activism
·	Riverdale TownCrier - Editor-in-Chief (1989-1993)
·	Riverdale Citizens for Open Government (COG) Voice - Editor (1989-1991)
·	People of Riverdale for Initiative, Diversity & Excellence (PRIDE)
Leader-Editor (2000-01)
·	Town Citizen Advisory Cmtes.--including Town Center Revitalization,
newsletter & traffic
·	Riverdale Boys & Girls Club-Co-Founder, Baseball Commissioner & Coach
(1994-1999)
·	Preservation Association of Riverdale Park - Founding Member
·	Riverdale Elementary School Recycling Club - Co-founder (1988-89)
·	Managed 30 Town candidates--winning 24 races (1989-2001)
·	Referendum activist to save “Field of Dreams” from sale (2004)
·	StateDemocracy.com Foundation - Board of Directors (1998-present)

Public Service Experience
·	Master’s Degree:  Government and Politics, UMD, College Park
·	Bachelor’s Degree:  History and Political Science, cum laude, GWU
·	Autism Society of America - Govt. Affairs Dir. & Acting Exec. Dir.
·	Nat'l. Industries for the Severely Handicapped - Govt. Affairs Dir.
·	Irish American Unity Conference - Executive Director
·	National Child Support Association - Govt. Affairs Dir.

County Office of Community Relations (OCR) Deputy Director
·	Spearheaded creation of 1-Stop automated Countywide Call Center to request
any public service -- boosting speed,
      accuracy and accountability.  Also offloads non-emergency calls from
911 dispatchers, speeding response times

·	Spearheaded establishment of a permanent toll-free Emergency Hotline
(1-866-952-PGCO)

·	Managed county’s first mobile office to deliver public info and services
to neighborhoods

·	Expanded Police mediation training (via OCR’s Mediation Division), to
fulfill DOJ consent decree

·	Published a Spanish directory of contact numbers for county services

·	Opened OCR’s first field office (in Templeton Knolls):  “Centro Vecinal de
Riverdale” (Riverdale Neighborhood Center),
      in collaboration with local civic, tenant, business, faith, government
and nonprofit service organizations.

·	Held Documentation Day with Mexican Embassy to provide Consular I.D. cards
for the area’s many residents from Mexico.
	Banks accepted this I.D. to open accounts, thus reducing area’s cash
economy that was attracting outside criminals

·	Compiled and published “Know Your Code” pamphlet

·	Compiled database of Community Based Organizations to inform and involve
them in civic initiatives, via mail/email

Campaign Platform
·	Community Policing, assigned to regular beats, to partner with neighbors
and “Help The People Police Themselves.”
·	Give incentives for police to obtain higher education, live in the county
and learn other languages.
·	Involve communities in our schools
and schools in our communities.
·	Establish “Public Service Academy” programs at area high schools and
colleges.
·	Establish Boys & Girls Clubs in our many needy communities, to give youth
constructive alternatives to crime.
·	Prioritize building of the mass transit “Purple Line” to connect
inner-Beltway communities.
·	Multiply county code enforcement officers & assign them regular beats to
work with/be accountable to, local residents.
·	Empower municipalities with a stronger role in zoning, economic
development, code enforcement, policing partnerships,
      school reform, traffic and other county issues that deeply affect
townspeople.