Viewpoint: Davis suited for Missoula’s next mayor

Toni Matlock

Have you met Andrea Davis? I have an unfair advantage because I already know her. If, for whatever reason, you haven’t yet had the chance to meet her, let me convey what makes her the right person for the unwieldy job of Mayor of Missoula right now.

Hopefully you have already heard examples of Andrea’s experience overseeing multi-million dollar budgets in 14 different Montana cities, managing multiple teams with layers of staff, and consistently getting genuinely good things done to benefit our communities – all while building relationships across party lines throughout the state.

She checks all of these essential boxes to qualify her to be the mayor of Missoula plus more. And in the position of mayor, she can bring all of that leadership forward for the city of Missoula to benefit more people with her genuinely good work.

Andrea Davis seems to approach life and work like it’s all a river. Everything is connected and has a purpose. The rapids, the rocks, the current and the eddies are all related. She reads the river and responds accordingly, finding the strongest path through. She takes the tough parts seriously, paddles hard when she needs to, and watches and listens when the waters are still.

She also brings along fellow travelers, buoying whomever needs a rest and helping carry any boats that run aground. Best of all, she laughs when she gets splashed or takes an unexpected tumble. It’s that simple. That’s Andrea.

Choosing a mayor is about the candidates like Andrea Davis but it’s really about all of us. We make Missoula the community we love. Missoula, like every city is changing – that’s indisputable. Missoula needs a strong mayor who checks all of the boxes AND brings a healthy drive and passion to her work. You get to decide what challenges are facing the mayor of Missoula, and who you think is best qualified to address them.

How would you like to see our community manage difficulties? If I’m ever going to be in a lifeboat (and one can argue that in Missoula right now we are), I know that I want Andrea at the helm.