Tom Strand

Current role or occupation: President of the Colorado Springs city council and member of the Colorado Springs Utilities board of directors

Formal education: B.A. in Business Administration from Bowling Green University; J.D. in Law from the University of Toledo; Masters of Law in Labor and Employment Law from George Washington University

Military Service: 30 years active duty Air Force as a judge advocate, retired Colonel Public service: Five years on the District 11 School Board as vice chair and chair (2007-2011); Eight years on Colorado Springs city council (2015 - 2023) Eight years

Tom Strand is originally from Ohio, and married to Shannon Marie. He has an “independent- living” mother, age 94, two siblings, three children and five grandchildren (ages 8 to 23). He moved 17 times on active duty, including 10 years overseas, two Pentagon assignments and returned to Colorado Springs in 2004. I have the integrity, current experience, and effective leadership to be the best new mayor of the 39th largest city in our country.

My Goals, Ambitions, and Priorities as the next mayor are: on the Colorado Springs Utilities board of directors (2015 - 2023) Colorado Springs resident: 20 years

1.Focus on public safety, public safety, public safety. Our current and rising homicide numbers, general crime, vehicle theft and driving violations are simply unacceptable. We must recruit and retain the best police officers possible. Current sworn police officers in the mid 750 numbers are not enough. We have to grow the CSPD, with a sense of urgency by 20%. I would work hard with our police leadership to acquire newer and more technologically advanced equipment and attract more qualified applicants. I would also explore a full time regional police training college to support other Front Range communities. I would also support building more fire department stations, and a more robust emergency medical team to provide faster and more comprehensive service throughout our 200-square-mile jurisdiction. Our joint City-County Emergency Management Department should be better equipped and trained to deal with natural disasters, especially wildfires, both in urban and in open spaces.We need more fuel mitigation now.

Skills to be effective: Integrity; professional and governance experience; demonstrated leadership

Leadership tenets: Excellent listener; teamplayer; continuity; performance under stress

Crisis tenets: While in elected office, experience dealing with Planned Parenthood and Club Q shootings; also addressed wildfire at Bear Creek as well as numerous wind and weather events; reliably challenging CS Utilities; deployed with USAF to Middle East during Operation Desert Shield

2.Sustaining a healthy community. We have a wonderful and growing community. But it needs constant attention, and extraordinary professional planning to insure that the new development is managed smartly and consistently. We need to be aware and sensitive to sprawl and unbridled growth. I would seek partners in the private sector and employ specific consultants to assist our Planning and Public Works Departments, including community services, to work even harder to find permanent solutions for our homeless population. I would support and encourage local developers and builders, as well as government Regional Building, and Utilities to build more (5,000 more annually) affordable housing units. We must keep our foot on the pedal to continue 2C (roadway improvements) to ensure our roads, bridges, streets, curbs, gutters, and, of course, sidewalks are safe, connected, repaired, or replaced quickly and properly. Keep filling potholes.

3.Grow our local economy. And generate jobs for our local high school, college and university students. We desperately need a source of workers and employees. I will endeavor to work with organizations already committed to providing training and educational opportunities for all trades and professions (especially in the mental health and construction arenas) to stay in our city, and connect with meaningful jobs. Our small- and medium-sized businesses need assistance and cooperation with city departments. I will strive to be a catalyst for this target goal.

Unique Law Firm Led By Medical Doctor Expands in Colorado Springs

Alicia Oaks, J.D., Managing Partner, Leads AwardWinning Ramos Law Practice In Southern Colorado

It began with a physician giving medical testimony in legal cases –Joseph Ramos, M.D. quickly realized he could help people who had been injured even more with a law degree. He observed that by providing a more complete picture of a patient’s medical condition from a clinical perspective, insurance companies would far more likely to meet all the needs of injured people, so they could achieve as much relief and recovery from their injuries, and regain as much of their life as possible.

JOSEPH RAMOS, MD, JD

“I love helping people. It’s in my DNA; my calling, you could say.”

Dr. Ramos learned it from a young age watching his parents take care of stranded travelers in his very small rural town in central Nevada. His parents owned a gas station, where he worked every day from the time he was 10 years old. He watched his dad fix tires for free, or fill up someone’s gas tank when they didn’t have any money. Ramos says, he saw many families stay overnight in their home when the weather wasn’t suitable for travel.

“I can’t tell you how many strangers my mom fed. It was commonplace. It was easy. It was the right thing to do,” he recalls.

As he grew up and left that small town, the values learned from his parents have stayed with him. He paid his own way through undergraduate college, then he went on to medical school.

FAMILY & ADVENTURE

Dr. Ramos met his wife and together they raise four great kids. He’s led a very active life from hunting and fishing with his children, to achieving a black belt in Tae Kwon Do. He even tried out for the Olympic trapshooting team at 13 years old. His most recent endeavor: becoming a private pilot.

“I think it’s apparent I love adventure and living life to its fullest,” Ramos says. During his medical career, providing expert medical testimony, Dr. Ramos realized he could help people even more with a law degree, which inspired him to attend law school. Through his medical knowledge, he understands that personal injury claims are more about the injuries than the law.

“To present the injuries to an insurance company or a jury, you must understand them. For this reason, as a medical doctor, I am a very effective personal injury attorney.”

Whether it has been in medicine or in law, I hold true to the values I learned from that small town and my parents. Ramos says, “I treat people fairly and justly, and truly want the very best for each and every person I take care of. I take my role as an attorney very seriously. Getting my clients back on the road to recovery whether it be from a car accident, a sports injury or an injury on the job is very important to me. What I do on their behalf impacts their life and their long-term health. It is a big responsibility. But for me… it is easy. It is the right thing to do.”

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ALICIA M. OAKS, J.D.

Alicia Oaks joined Ramos Law in 2020. Originally from Rhode Island, she and her family decided to move to Colorado Springs after making a 15-year stop-over in Detroit, Michigan. She has served as an attorney for 17 years, having worked on both sides of claims, handling everything from personal injury and property damage claims to construction defect and property disputes. From this experience, she learned how to investigate, organize, and present claims to achieve an optimal outcome. Through her years as an insurance defense attorney, she knows what insurance companies need in order to evaluate your claim.

On a personal level, Alicia enjoys all that Colorado has to offer and take advantage of any opportunity to go running, hiking, and catching the beautiful sights. She and her husband are presently busy with two teenage boys, keeping the Oaks family busy year-round with soccer. When not on the sidelines of a soccer field cheering on their sons, they enjoy taking in other sporting events, cook family dinners, and catch-up with friends.

“I am passionate about learning new things. This leads me to consume as many books and podcasts as time permits on topics including history, photography, cooking, and alternative medicine. This passion has provided me with a broader perspective and understanding of those around me."

Alicia is a member of the Colorado Bar Association, El Paso County Bar Association, Colorado Trial Lawyers Association, Colorado Women’s Bar Association and a Board Member of the Colorado Springs Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

“I could not be happier to have joined the Ramos Law family to put my experience and skills to use for those who experience injury while on the job, or just going about life,” Oaks concludes.