Richard S. Groner believes he is the strong leader Jefferson City needs in its next mayor.
A six-way race is set for the Jefferson City mayoral seat, with 3rd Ward Councilman Bob Scrivner, Leonard Steinman, Carrie Tergin, Edith Vogel, Roy Viessman and Groner all hoping to win the April 7 election.
Groner, a retired engineer, received a bachelor's degree from the University of Notre Dame and a master's from the University of Missouri-Rolla, now known as Missouri University of Science & Technology. Groner previously served one term as a Jefferson City councilman, representing the 1st Ward, and as a Cole County commissioner, though the position was called judge at the time. Groner also has served in the U.S. Army.
Groner describes himself as someone who doesn't waste money and says he wants to be a strong leader for the community.
Groner cited education as an important issue for him, adding that an educated workforce, especially in the robotics field, could help attract more jobs to the area. Groner said he also would like to see an expansion of the nursing program at Lincoln University to allow more students to enroll. He said the city has to provide the environment to start the expansion, while funding for any expansion would need to come from the university.
"In my mind, the city needs to be doing that for the betterment of the city, the betterment of the area," Groner said.
In his spare time, Groner enjoys hunting and fishing, but tends to spend most of his time working on his home, which he built about six years ago.