Maplewood Ward 3 seat: candidate Nick Homa

In the Maplewood City Council, Ward 3 council member Jenny Schmidt is not running for reelection. Two residents filed for the seat and will be on the ballot on April 5. They are Nick Homa and Mary Killian (see her info here). Both have sent information to 40 South. This is information that Nick Homa sent. In Ward 2 Eric Page is running unopposed.

Nick Homa:

My name is Nick Homa and I am running for Maplewood City Council – Ward 3. My family and I have lived in Maplewood for six-and-a-half-years and we absolutely love our community. Please allow me to tell you a little about myself. I have two sons, Deklen (8) and Finn (5), who attend MRH schools. I was elected as the MRH ECC PTO vice-chair in 2017-2018 and served as the Secretary for MRH PTO, Inc. in 2018.

My wife, Meghan, works as the Regional Case Management Supervisor for the Missouri Ryan White Program in St. Louis, which serves people living with HIV/AIDS. She has been passionate about this work since 2014 and is dedicated to improving access and eliminating barriers to HIV care.

I currently work for Bayer as a Plant Genotyping Scientist/Supervisor, where I oversee a lab of scientists who genotype row crops to detect the integration of new traits. Prior to my work at Bayer, I worked for over a decade as a Forensic Scientist in DNA Analysis Units across the Midwest. After some years at the Milwaukee Crime Lab and the Illinois State Police – Forensic Science Center at Chicago, I moved south to the St. Louis County Police Department Crime Laboratory to serve the citizens of our region. The work for St. Louis County brought my family and me to Maplewood.

When we first toured our house in Ward 3, we knew we had found our home. Since that day, Maplewood has not only continued to evolve as a city but has grown as a community – especially as we band together to make it through this global pandemic. I hope to work with Maplewood city council members and city staff to further our city’s evolution
toward allyship, anti-racism, and equity for all.

My experience in both government and private sectors has given me valuable experience and skills to accomplish goals while operating in a bureaucracy. I lead with curiosity and empathy and have experience influencing diverse groups of individuals with viewpoints very different from my own. These abilities will allow me to competently serve Ward 3
constituents, support a bustling downtown business district, and help to maintain the life, culture, and opportunity present in our neighborhoods.

It would be an honor and extreme privilege to have the opportunity to serve Ward 3 citizens on the Maplewood City Council. I look forward to hearing how I can serve you most efficiently – I’m excited about where we’re headed.

Nick Homa’s candidate Facebook page.

Focus Areas:

• Further inclusion of citizens in government processes (via town halls and direct feedback)
• Growth of educational programs for council members and city staff – focused on inherent bias, privilege, and allyship
• Aging in place measures that assure affordable housing and increased resources for citizens on fixed incomes
• Increased transparency and accountability in filling of high-profile vacancies within city staff (Police Chief, Fire Chief, etc.)
• Commitment to infrastructure improvement – roads, sidewalks, parks, signage, and the Great Rivers Greenway Trail
• Collaboration with the MRH school district to ensure the district is equipped to support an increasing student body population in aging facilities
• Continued support and backing of Maplewood businesses throughout Ward 3 and the rest of the city
• Partnership and consultation to look at city ordinances and policies through an equity lens