REASONS AND QUALIFICATIONS FOR RUNNING FOR LOVELAND CITY COUNCIL

By Heather S. Russell

Thirteen years in Loveland plus 15 years as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney provide me with the interest and expertise to help lead Loveland.

I do not wish to be considered as part of the "group of 4" , as currently exists on Loveland's Council. I am an individual. If you want to know who I am or what I can offer Council, judge me on my record: As chief Assistant Prosecuting Attorney in the Hamilton County Prosecutor's Office I have some unique qualifications. I was the first female team leader, supervising a team of felony trial attorneys. I have 15 years of interpreting statutes and advocating for the rights of victims in some of the most serious crimes in the state. I am confident that I could interpret statutes and review ordinances which are applicable to Loveland. There is a legal maxim that "the law favors a compromise," and I have 15 years of negotiating cases to arrive at a just compromise for all concerned. I think you could ask any of my worthy opponents who are defense lawyers, and they would tell you that I am honest, professional, and strive to achieve just resolutions. Philosophical disagreements are encouraged in our system, but to take these differences to a personal level serves no useful purpose.

At Miami University I received degrees in International Studies and French, and at the UC College of Law I had a fellowship in the Institute of International Human Rights. I would enjoy putting my diplomacy skills to work on Council.

Currently as the Chief of the Grand Jury Division of the Hamilton County Prosecutor's Office, my daily routine brings me into contact with police from all 30 police departments in Hamilton County, as well as victims and witnesses from all walks of life. Additionally, I am the management supervisor for 22 office staff. I have a wealth of experience in dealing with people with differing philosophies and emotional temperaments. In my position I try to make all people with whom I have contact feel that they have received some portion of justice, and not like they have been dealt with by a bureaucrat.

Obviously as a mother who works outside of the home with two school age children, I have experience in planning, organizing and hard work! My job has brought me some high visibility, but my family is my priority, and brings balance to my life. You will find me at all my children's school events, and I share my husband's passion for sports by cheering all of them on as he coaches them.

First and foremost, professionally I am a trial attorney, and so a trial analogy comes quickly to mind. Our justice system is set up to arrive at a jury of unbiased people, jurors who have no preconceived idea of which side is right or wrong. I hope to be that unbiased juror. I hope to keep an open mind on all Loveland issues. I will evaluate all issues through my own frame of reference, based on my own life experiences, and my conservative law enforcement background.

From college, to law school, to working with the victims and survivors of the most violent and deadly crimes, my choices have clearly demonstrated my love for our system of government. We are a government of laws not of men. If elected to Loveland City Council, I promise to continue in the path that I have taken thus far: to work from within our government, to engage in the art of diplomacy, and to advocate for the peace and dignity of individuals, for the good of Loveland.