Meet Mayoral Candidate BW (Brent) Coggins)
Website: https://www.votebwcoggins.org/
Official Bio:
I was born at St. Mary’s in 1959, Son of “Alice (Roth) and Jack Coggins” and have a younger brother “Lee”. I went to school at Hoarse Mann Elementary and attend special classes at Hawthorne Elementary. During this time, I discovered a passion for magic and also won the Pack Pinewood Derby in 1970. I finished my 6th grade at the newly constructed Ben Franklin Elementary, where I was selected to represent the new age of the “Touch Tone Phone” to the city.
Next step, Central Junior High where I faced one of my biggest challenges, “Bullying”. I meet two people that mentored me through this. The wife of Dr. Donohue, my tutor. Their home, my school. A place to learn English, “Ok” nobody is perfect, is now Seasons Hospice, still a place of giving. The other was Walt Bruzek, “The Old Bear” who became my mentor not only in magic but life too.
I continued on to Mayo Senior High where in 11th grade I discovered I had a learning disability. I wasn’t going to let it stand in my way or use it as a crutch. I improved. I was a teacher’s aide. I was able to start work in a field that matched my skills. Graduating in 1977, I received two awards, “For Outstanding Skill Development and Achievement in Trade & Industry” and the “McDonalds Award”, the nicest kid in class of about 700.
The institution where my parents worked, granted me the opportunity with yearly scholarships to attend RCC, now RCTC were I studied theater arts and civil engineering. I graduated with a “AA in Civil Engineering Technology” in 1981. During this time, I started a family, worked as school would allowed.
I then accepted a position with the SCS-USDA, now the NRCS. During a management training course in 1987, I discovered that I was a “INFJ/ENFJ personality”, which helped me understand who I was. Working with rural land owners to conserve our natural resources. Became lead designer of the “South Zumbro Flood Control Project”. I helped create better building standards and received spot and outstanding awards. My greatest reward was giving back to the community which I lived.
A previous employer wanted me to return and help them to enter into to the age of “Computer Aided Drafting & Design”. Leave Rochester or stay to continue to build a community that I loved. I stayed, helping plan and design subdivision for people and businesses to live and grow. Creating the data for “Corp of Engineer Channel Project” so it could be constructed through town. During this time, I continued my involvement with charities, mostly the ones that effected kids, like JDF. I became more active in my church, taught Sunday school, help with services and got on committees.
After 10 years, I agreed to help a different company. They wanted someone with the skills to help them grow and thanks to a friend, he said “You need BW”. Instead of helping developers, it was back helping the city, improve its infrastructure. Plus, I got in involved with the business community and join the “Chamber of Commerce”. I received “Ambassador of the Year” and “Emeritus Statius”. During this time, I helped young and old Magicians reach their “Dreams”, just as I have helped young engineers (EIT’s).
After some time off, I joined “Iowa DOT” in Mason City, while still living in Rochester. I designed “Highway Safety Improvements”, from maintenance to reconstruction of roadways and bridges. I provided concepts, estimates and designs for “Million-dollar Projects”. For 7 years, I improved “Team Work” and helped them receive awards, two for “Excellent Performance” even during a time of cancer and stroke within my family.
I retired in 2017 to become a care giver to my wife, Ginny (Archer) and my mother, but I know I wanted do more. I give thanks to the name that appears on every piece of “US” currencies, to my friends and mentors who “Believed” in me. I have chosen to take this next step in life, not for me but for the “good I see in” people. I want to see “all” people, business and families grow, achieve and be proud, by helping themselves and others! My Top Hat a symbol of a Dream, a Smile, an Opening Door.
Your key platforms
Safety
Coggins, with the south Zumbro flood control, has helped make Rochester safe for people and businesses. Better incentives for reporting crimes!
Housing
Coggins has helped develop and create neighborhoods and businesses with his senior engineering background. Seeing if we can get more co-op housing, where you still have an investment!
Transportation
Coggins, with his Department of Transportation experience, has created better and safer highways in northeast Iowa. More efficient ways of moving traffic and people!
Why should Rochester vote for you as our mayor?
“I am” BW (Brent) Coggins, if it be your choice, I will be your mayor! I’m going to be who I’m and it’s not about me wanting to be mayor, it’s about what people believe that I will do for the city by speaking up with respect for all class of people! WHY: Because I have a passion for people! I believe in “TRUTH in Leadership, TRANSPARENCY in Communication & TRUST in People”! Foundation of Values: “MUM’s the Word”, the secret is simply means… Magic of the Individual, Unity of the Community, Might of the Family! The true value of Rochester is its best kept secret, "MUM's the word" and we need to spread that word and not keep it a secret. My Principles in finding solutions: History, Imagination & Common Sense to achieve a “Positive” outcome for safety, housing & transportation. I come from a proud family native to Rochester. Rochester has been a city with a great medical institution but retains a small-town feel.
What do you envision for the future of Rochester?
A blend of history with the future! A level ground for workers of every field!
Goals: POR/DMC? Pride in Ownership and Responsibility, it starts with the missing “U” so others can “Discover our Magical City”!
In visiting with a friend and mentor, he used these words repeatedly as we talked
Enjoy, Wonderful and Help! That’s why I’m running for Mayor of Rochester
What are your connections to The Mayo Clinic? How do you plan to work with The Mayo Clinic?
My parents and my wife retired from Mayo. Mayo has been our care provider our whole life. We have many friends that work in varies jobs at Mayo.
I would treat them as I would work with anyone else, In God’s eye we are all equal. I will be open, honest and direct to the point!
I would hope Mayo would follow their book “Teamwork at Mayo Clinic: An experiment in cooperative individualism”. There is a statement on page 12, “…they understand that caring for patients also means caring for employees.”
Meaning caring for Rochester as a whole! On page 17 a quote “We know only too well the necessity for efficient management, but there is a spiritual as well as a material quality in care of sick people, and too great efficiency in material details may hamper progress.” Meaning we cannot loss that quality infrastructure of all people not just buildings.
As W.W. Mayo said “No one is big enough to be independent of others.”
What are your connections to the DMC? How do you plan to work with the DMC?
I have no real connection other than I live in Rochester like everyone else who is voting for mayor…
like I stated in the PB…
With my Civil Engineering background, I would revisit the General Development Plan and look at creating sub districts outside of the DMC-Medical District.
DMC is like a target with a bullseye, some would say something else, but we need to include the rest of the target other than just the “Center”. We Need the “Communities” for Rochester to win that title of DMC, the outer rings. If we are going to improve housing and transportation, those other points are needed to expand the target for all of Rochester’s agenda.
Maybe putting a new library at the heart of discovery square? Using the old one for a children’s museum, like St Louis? Get the Chateau operating!
The DMC plan can be modified, let’s do it right!
How would you address the concerns of citizens about the loss of some of the city's older and potentially historic buildings to new development?
We cannot loss site of the history that founded this city and its people, the work ethics, for one. All new building should have a space dedicated to the history of that site. We need the reminder old history and buildings are reminders not only for us but for the children of the future to grow to understand how hard work and dedication built a great city. Plates should be placed on these buildings to show visitor the founding history as they walk the streets.
Favorite Rochester Moment?
Seeing the flood control project work the way it was designed and preventing Rochester from being flooded again! To help save property and lives, there is no great joy! Isn’t serving others what it’s all about!
What’s one thing you want the Rochester community to know about you?
Big on Communication:
As Sin'Gee' the magician, Coggins has reached out, supported, and help build many non-profit organizations and individuals with the "Magic of Life."
Coggins has used his leadership to produce sound and cost-effective ideas in infrastructure of people and communities in Rochester and Iowa.
Coggins will not be afraid to voice an opinion on matters important to the community.
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