About Jim
Hard work. The strength of our ward lies in our incredibly engaged residents. I will match that dedication with measurable commitments to you.- Respectful and responsive. Anyone who takes the time to contact me to share ideas or concerns will receive a prompt, respectful response.
- Proven experience. I’ve worked as an executive for a Fortune 500 software company. Over the last ten years I built a successful small software business right here in Saint Paul. I’ve solved problems in my neighborhood working with the CapitolRiver Council, and want to help you in yours.
I moved to St. Paul's Lowertown neighborhood ten years ago. Shortly afterward, I left my job at a large corporation in order to start a small company that would allow me to work within walking distance of my home. We worked out of coffee shops and basements until we were able to afford a small office in a Lowertown warehouse, and we've been here ever since. Today we have over fifty customers that rely on our software to manage their businesses. We pride ourselves on a level of quality and service that is unmatched in our market, and our business has continued to grow because our customers trust us and frequently recommend us to other companies.
During those ten years, my wife and I have had the great fortune to live in this creative community, with residents that are passionate about Lowertown and always looking out for each other. I have the invaluable ability to walk to work, have lunch with my neighbors, buy groceries at downtown markets and get home early to cook dinner and spend time with my family and friends. Add to that St. Paul's many parks, restaurants and cultural resources, supported by a climate that allows me to be both a competitive member of the Saint Paul Curling Club and an urban gardener, and it's hard to imagine wanting to live anywhere else.
I started an involvement in politics last year because I believe everyone deserves the opportunity to have those same things: a good job, a home in a vibrant, beautiful neighborhood, and affordable access to recreation and healthy food. Unfortunately, politicians at all levels seem to have lost sight of those priorities. The past decade has seen an inexcusable growth in disparity, with large multinational corporations reaping huge profits while some families and small businesses throughout St. Paul are losing everything. And now, when the problem should be clear to everyone, our elected representatives are failing to aggressively target resources to help their constituents reclaim and rebuild their neighborhoods.
Over the past year I have been attending meetings with St. Paul's district councils and community groups, listening to their problems and trying to understand how we got to where we are. I've met an amazing number of bright, passionate citizens that are ready with good ideas, but cannot find a willing partner in city hall to move those ideas forward with the speed and support they deserve.
I am running for City Council because I believe those ideas need an equally passionate voice in the city council chambers. I believe that the best representatives do not sit back and wait for someone to come to them. They go into every neighborhood and talk with the people that live there, listening to their stories and asking for their input. Then they take that collective wisdom and carry it with them into city hall, making sure those voices are heard in every budget meeting, planning process and zoning decision.
My name is Jim Ivey. St. Paul is my home, my workplace, my neighborhood, and my passion. If you are ready to work with me, I will spend the next four years working hard every day to be your representative. I will listen, I will learn, and I will lead, and together we will work to create opportunities for everyone in St. Paul.
