The Mayor’s First Year: Wins, Lessons & What Comes Next

About this episode

Mayor Jeff Schrag discusses his first year in office, key initiatives, and lessons learned from community engagement.

This week on Simply Authentic, we sit down with Jeff Schrag, entrepreneur, community champion, and the current Mayor of Springfield, Missouri. https://www.springfieldmo.gov/ After a pivotal experience serving on a city committee, Jeff made the decision to run for mayor just a year ago—and it’s been a fast-paced first year in office. In this conversation, Mayor Schrag shares why hiring City Manager David Cameron has been one of the city’s most impactful moves and how City Council has rallied around five key priorities: operational excellence, public safety transformation, economic vitality, housing strategy, and development processes. Fresh off a ballot defeat for the convention center proposal, Jeff reflects on lessons learned from extensive community listening ahead of the April election and why those conversations will continue moving forward. He also opens up about leadership, drawing from his experience as a business owner and volunteer—highlighting the power of listening, transparency, and staying solutions-focused. With the upcoming Route 66 celebration on the horizon, the mayor shares his excitement for honoring Springfield’s progress while looking ahead to what’s next for…

People in this episode

Host: Simply Authentic Podcast

Guest: Jeff Schrag

Topics covered

• local government
• leadership
• community engagement
• economic development
• public safety

Keywords

• mayor
• Springfield
• community listening
• leadership
• economic vitality

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: City Manager David Cameron, Springfield, Route 66

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