By Taki S. Raton
Tearman Spencer
Tearman Spencer is a man on the move with the drive to make things happen. His personal motto to “lose nothing and achieve at everything” inspires his run for the 10th District County Supervisor Seat.
“It is time for me to get off the sidelines waiting for change,” says Spencer. “I am accepting the challenge to get involved and to become a significant mover for improvements in our community and within the broader Milwaukee municipality,’ he adds.
His key issues are job growth, economic development and education. He acknowledges that education is not, in his words “technically a county issue,” but he views his close relationship with Milwaukee Public Schools as an asset and an opportunity for the county to assist in leadership agendas where the opportunity is appropriate.
“It is going to take a collective and cooperative partnering effort to cultivate meaningful employment in the country,” he says. The candidate sees the 10th District candidate positions as an engagement to establish significant partnerships with businesses and municipalities to determine what are the potentials for job development and what is presently available. “We need to reposition more direct connections between employers and a trained and eager labor market,” he says.
Spencer believes in building relationships, particularly within the economic sector and more specifically within lending institution corridors:
“The district needs a representative who understands the nuts and bolts of economic development projects, but more importantly, one who understands the totality of connecting business and cooperative relationships required for the union of successful enterprise building outcomes,” he adds.
His listing of the most critical issues facing the 10th District range from poverty, public safety, taxes, education, business and economic development.
“I contend, however, that even more critical is the disconnection between stakeholders and collective and cooperative partnering of productive cross area growth based markets for our communities and county.”
The candidate’s priority of concerns facing Milwaukee County include fiscal sustainability, the structuring of an Economic Development Strategy with attainable targets promoting growth and attracting private investment capital, and the continued enhancement of the transit system to support the growing needs of Milwaukee County.
His vision for Milwaukee is to appoint the capacity of his office to help build the city as an acceptable and pleasant municipality to work, live, build, and raise a family; to create an environment that stimulates expansion of the local tourism industry, and to actualize an environment that is conducive for business expansion and development:
“In order for positive change to occur in Milwaukee, we need visionaries who are not afraid of opposition or change and have faith in moving one foot in front of the next and the experience to make a difference,” he positions. “I am grounded in the workings of government, have intricate knowledge of the legal system, and the background experience to enhance Milwaukee with the best interest of its citizens in mind.”
Spencer received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, his Masters of Business Administration from San Francisco ’s Golden Gate University, and his B.S. in Safety Engineering from the University of Southern California.
He is an attorney with Spencer & Associates Law Firm in Milwaukee and an Adjunct Professor at the downtown Springfield College campus.
Past position titles nationally and locally have included Disability and Employment Rights Advocate for Legal Services, Project Manager of Environmental Health and Safety for the Heavy Construction Division & Water Resource Division of the Morrison-Knudsen Company, Program Manager for the OSHA Consulting Program for the State of Wisconsin, and former Owner and Principal Consulting Safety Engineer for Precision Engineering in Milwaukee.
Spencer has additionally worked as Safety Engineer and Supervisor for the Morrison Knudsen, Company’s Light Rail Project and as System Safety Engineer for Parson, Brinkerhoff, Quade & Douglas for Orange, California’s Heavy and Light Rail Project.
Business ownership includes CEO of Spencer & Associates, T.S. Financial Services specializing in mortgage brokerage and financial services, and the Allmake Enterprise with principal of the Real Estate Holding Company.
He holds membership with the State Bar of Wisconsin and the Eastern District if the United States District Court.