Win or lose, District 2 candidate and former UF Faculty Senate chairwoman Cheri Brodeur will soon say goodbye to the university. She plans to retire in 2015.
But as city elections near, she said she would like to see a more unified Gainesville — starting with residents and students.
“I really see the value in using your Student Government,” said Brodeur, 65. “It’s your town too, and there needs to be some input from the students.”
Brodeur, who also serves as coordinator for the UF IFAS program development and evaluation center, said her ties to students and the university set her apart from the competition. She has lived in Gainesville for 30 years and said the city needs advisory groups to talk about points of contention between students and residents.
“People need to understand what students are going through and what they need,” Brodeur said. “It goes both ways.”
Her other platform focuses on Gainesville’s infrastructure, particularly roads and transportation, as well as rising Gainesville Regional Utilities rates.
Sue Alvers, an administrative assistant through the Faculty Senate, said Brodeur’s strength is representing groups of people. She said Brodeur “basically just asks people to work together.”
[A version of this story ran on page 5 on 3/10/2014]
