Q&A With David Leader, Peachtree Corners City Council Candidate

Peachtree Corners Patch asked the 20 candidates for the six council seats on the new Peachtree Corners City Council a series of questions relating to city government for the upcoming Municipal Election on March 6, 2012.

Each of the candidates were asked the same set of questions. The last question we posed was to ask each candidate ask and answer his or her own question.

Patch introduces David leader, one of four candidates seeking to fill the council seat for Post 6.

Name: David Leader, age 36.

How long have you lived in city: I purchased my first and only home in Peachtree Corners after living in Metro Atlanta for nearly 20 years. I moved to Peachtree Corners from Dunwoody three years ago and consider it a significant upgrade. I was attracted to Peachtree Corners by the friendly community, great amenities, and low crime rates. I intend to spend the rest of my life here in Peachtree Corners as I could not imagine finding a better community.

Educational background: I graduated from the Emory University Roberto C. Goizueta School of Business with a Bachelor of Business Arts, concentration Marketing. I also hold a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science / Mathematics from Emory University.

Military background: N/A.

Marital status: My soulmate’s name is Angie, and she is 30 years old. She is a professional web designer and photographer for a company in Norcross. We met in the Atlanta Outdoor Club nearly two years ago, and have been fostering our relationship. Neither of us has ever been married, so we have been diligently building our relationship since we view marriage as an absolute commitment for life. My brother, Joe Leader, lives in Dunwoody with his wife Dr. Jeanette Leader and their wonderful three-year-old daughter Jenna.

Occupation: Over the past two decades, I have designed innovative and efficient programs at some of the best companies in Atlanta, including Home Depot, Pitney Bowes, and AT&T. For the past six years, I have worked in designing engineering programs for one of the largest transportation companies in the United States, Norfolk Southern.

What experience in your background do you think has best prepared
you for serving on the Peachtree Corners City Council?

The most efficient cities use technologies to make life more convenient for its citizens. Through leading projects, I have become efficient at researching the optimal course of action for any given problem. My marketing background from Emory will also help us position Peachtree Corners as one of the best suburbs in Metro Atlanta. This is important as we work to increase the business traffic and improve our housing values. Finally, I am experienced with social media, and will post a biweekly blog detailing the workings of the council. I will take citizens’ suggestions back to the City Council to ensure the community stays involved in the process of successful government.

Tell Peachtree Corners readers about your vision for the new city
and how you would accomplish it?

My mission for Peachtree Corners is to prove that government can work
effectively. My first goal is making certain that we create a budget surplus, ensuring low taxes and a safe economy in the long run. Further, with proper zoning, we can keep Peachtree Corners the safe, effective city that we all love.

I also want to make sure existing businesses have an opportunity to thrive.  We will do this by selling Peachtree Corners as a safe and family-friendly environment to visit. Peachtree Corners will become known for its great schools, low crime rates, and low tax rates. Investors and entrepreneurs will seek out Peachtree Corners as the ideal place to start their own businesses. You can read more about my values and initiatives at http://www.DavidLeader.org.

What do you think is the greatest challenge facing Peachtree
Corners, and how would you approach it?

It's zoning -- plain and simple. Trash collection will be a hot topic briefly, but I imagine we will find a cost effective solution quickly and get that handled within the first month of incorporation. Zoning is the most important of the three tasks that we will be performing. Since incorporation, Johns Creek has suffered many difficulties because of excessive approvals of zoning requests, without necessary considerations taken. I will work ... as councilman to ensure this will not happen to us.
 
Beyond the zoning issue, making certain our name is a selling point is the most important key to our incorporation. Many supporters of the incorporation felt like the name Peachtree Corners will make their property more valuable. This can happen, but only if we are able to sell our city properly; as Dunwoody, Duluth, and Virginia Highlands have done in the past. Dunwoody has marketed themselves with "Smart People, Smart City" as their slogan, and this has improved the perception of their city. We should similarly work to create a slogan that will represent the city’s strong community values and its position for business growth.

You mentioned needing a diverse council. Why should voters
consider this so important, and why do you consider yourself an
optimal candidate to fill this need?

Mayor Mike Mason provides Peachtree Corners a senior member of this community that has lived here for many years, with experience in management and banking. He has the skills he needs in this department. We need variety on our city council to best represent all of our citizens.

What Peachtree Corners needs is the fresh perspective of a council member like myself. I represent an example of the citizens the city of Peachtree Corners wants to attract: a high-tech, successful person in their mid-30's looking to purchase their first home in Peachtree Corners and set down roots for the rest of their life. When you elect me to council, you get the fresh perspective of someone without a biased agenda. I am running for City Council as a candidate representing the future of our new city.