When Lucas Casey makes major life decisions, he jumps in with both feet.
He and his wife, Lindsay, welcomed their second daughter on Jan. 3. Four days later Casey, 29, started a new job as director of institutional accountability and compliance at AIB College of Business. The next day he announced his plans to run for West Des Moines City Council.
The family moved to West Des Moines last summer.
“It’s par for the course for me,” Casey said. “I determined I wanted to run for City Council, and it doesn’t matter if it doesn’t necessarily make sense for someone who just recently moved to town; I knew I wanted to have a candidate in the race that was qualified, had a background in city government and cared about the city for the right reasons.”
Casey is one of two candidates vying to fill the Ward 2 seat that was vacated by council member Charles Schneider. Schneider won a December special election to replace the late sate Sen. Pat Ward, who died in October after a long battle with breast cancer.
Schneider started his first term representing District 22 in the Iowa Senate last week. A special city election will take place Feb. 12. Ward 2 includes much of the northwestern portion of West Des Moines.
“I thought this is a really unique opportunity for someone new in town who is relatively unknown but who cares a lot about city government and the community and who knows the potential impact that the mayor and City Council has in West Des Moines,” he said.
Casey acknowledges he is still in his “honeymoon” phase with the city, but what he lacks in specific knowledge about the community, he makes up for in experience working in city government, he said.
Before shifting his focus to higher education administration, Casey worked as the city clerk in Grimes and in the Johnston city manager’s office.
“I have a little different learning curve than a lot of candidates for City Council in that I know the nuts and bolts of city government, but I’m learning about West Des Moines all the time,” he said.
Casey has been getting to know people through his church, Lutheran Church of Hope, community involvement and neighbors, he said.
He moved to the metro after graduating from the University of Northern Iowa and he is a veteran of the U.S. Marines Corps.
His pragmatic, level-headed approach to issues would make him an asset to the City Council, college friend and fellow West Des Moines resident Joe Murphy said.
“He chose to make his home in West Des Moines with his young family when he’s had other opportunities to go elsewhere,” Murphy said. “I think that speaks to the leadership that West Des Moines would get.”
The most important thing for the city is to continue on its path of strong economic growth and attract new jobs and businesses, Casey said. Finding ways to collaborate with other cities around the metro is another priority.
Casey said he wants to help the city provide other potential residents and businesses the exact things that attracted his family.
“It offers lots of opportunity of life, for convenience and for piece of mind,” Casey said. “There’s growth and excitement surrounding almost everything going on in West Des Moines.”
He and his wife, Lindsay, welcomed their second daughter on Jan. 3. Four days later Casey, 29, started a new job as director of institutional accountability and compliance at AIB College of Business. The next day he announced his plans to run for West Des Moines City Council.
The family moved to West Des Moines last summer.
“It’s par for the course for me,” Casey said. “I determined I wanted to run for City Council, and it doesn’t matter if it doesn’t necessarily make sense for someone who just recently moved to town; I knew I wanted to have a candidate in the race that was qualified, had a background in city government and cared about the city for the right reasons.”
Casey is one of two candidates vying to fill the Ward 2 seat that was vacated by council member Charles Schneider. Schneider won a December special election to replace the late sate Sen. Pat Ward, who died in October after a long battle with breast cancer.
Schneider started his first term representing District 22 in the Iowa Senate last week. A special city election will take place Feb. 12. Ward 2 includes much of the northwestern portion of West Des Moines.
“I thought this is a really unique opportunity for someone new in town who is relatively unknown but who cares a lot about city government and the community and who knows the potential impact that the mayor and City Council has in West Des Moines,” he said.
Casey acknowledges he is still in his “honeymoon” phase with the city, but what he lacks in specific knowledge about the community, he makes up for in experience working in city government, he said.
Before shifting his focus to higher education administration, Casey worked as the city clerk in Grimes and in the Johnston city manager’s office.
“I have a little different learning curve than a lot of candidates for City Council in that I know the nuts and bolts of city government, but I’m learning about West Des Moines all the time,” he said.
Casey has been getting to know people through his church, Lutheran Church of Hope, community involvement and neighbors, he said.
He moved to the metro after graduating from the University of Northern Iowa and he is a veteran of the U.S. Marines Corps.
His pragmatic, level-headed approach to issues would make him an asset to the City Council, college friend and fellow West Des Moines resident Joe Murphy said.
“He chose to make his home in West Des Moines with his young family when he’s had other opportunities to go elsewhere,” Murphy said. “I think that speaks to the leadership that West Des Moines would get.”
The most important thing for the city is to continue on its path of strong economic growth and attract new jobs and businesses, Casey said. Finding ways to collaborate with other cities around the metro is another priority.
Casey said he wants to help the city provide other potential residents and businesses the exact things that attracted his family.
“It offers lots of opportunity of life, for convenience and for piece of mind,” Casey said. “There’s growth and excitement surrounding almost everything going on in West Des Moines.”
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