Jeremy Davis is vying for votes from ISU students, but he was one not long ago.

He graduated from Iowa State in 2001 with an undergraduate degree in agricultural education. In 2004, Davis received two masters’ degrees from Iowa State University, one in agricultural education and another in educational leadership and policy studies.

“I loved Iowa State,” Davis said. “My experience of living here as a student is what excited me to become a homeowner and make Ames my home.”

During his time at Iowa State, Davis was a part of the Government of the Student Body, where he served as an off-campus senator.

“Being a part of GSB I learned a lot about policies and regulations that have an impact on the students,” Davis said.

Jason Schaden, Davis’ campaign treasurer, agreed.

“Jeremy is going to offer a positive outlook on things,” Schaden said. “He is going to offer a different outlook, a different point of view. Being younger he can relate to a younger generation of Ames which will be the future of Ames.”

Schaden has known Davis for more than five years and said that both his knowledge of the university and resonance with students will be a great asset in representing Ward 3 to the Ames City Council.

“He is that friend that everybody wants,” Schaden said. “I’ve never seen him get mad about much of anything. He takes time to think things out before he goes off and makes a decision.”

He’s a genuine person, Schaden added.

“One of the things I think would be great to see is the city council meeting come to campus,” Davis said. “I think it would be a great way to build a relationship between the university and the city of Ames. It would encourage students and others to come to our meeting and then visit us at city hall. Not every topic would effect students, but I want to hear their opinions.”

While he was pursuing his graduate degrees, Davis was employed by the Office of Student Financial Aid, working primarily with student athletes. He received the Norman Boyles achievement award, which is given to an employee who went above and beyond to help the athletes succeed.

Davis is employed by the Iowa College Student Aid Commission in Des Moines where he works with the Federal Legislative Affairs Compliance and other special projects. He is working on his doctorate in education leadership and administration through the University Of Nebraska at Lincoln. In addition, Davis serves as the international fraternities vice president of the Acacia fraternity.

Question and answer with the Daily:

Daily: What is your vision for a thriving Campus Town, and how would you achieve this?

Davis: I think first and foremost the most important thing is land use. Planning and zoning that encourages growth and development in Campustown. One of the primary catalysts to achieve growth would be the intermodal transportation facility. Any time you have the ability to bring a population together, a high traffic area, that brings the potential for business to develop. Modify zoning policies and regulations. It would be a really great thing to revitalize Campustown.

Daily: Do you think the parking issue in the Greek neighborhoods needs to be resolved, and how would you resolve it?

Davis: I think when you look at the greek community it’s clearly a high density area. And in any high density area there will be issues with parking. One of the concerns that I’ve heard over the past few years is from students who would like to see the parking regulations change to adjust the times when people need to move from the street and it is definitely something that needs to be considered. The goal is to achieve maximum use. We have a full-time city staff that are experts in specific fields like logistics and parking, there are also consulting firms like do this. So there are things we can look at, but I don’t think that there is one solution that would meet everyone’s needs. When you have high density areas like the greek area parking difficulties are just part of the nature of the community.

Daily: What kind of sustainability program does Ames need, and what would you do as a city council member to implement this program?

Davis: In terms of energy sustainability it’s been identified that we are going to need to be increasing overall energy output. But when you look at other facilities, like the water treatment facility, which needs to be replaced, there is need for upkeep and attention and so we are going to have the opportunity to utilize green initiatives to make buildings and projects more efficient.

Daily: How will you attract businesses to Ames that will create jobs for current and graduating students?

Davis: There is a perception that new businesses aren’t welcome in Ames. That has a lot to do with the way zoning operates currently. When an entity comes to city hall to expand they need to be given specific guidelines. I think if we change the zoning process and make it more up front, more clear and concise, and modifiable as necessary we will be able to provide employment opportunities for both current and graduate students by bringing new businesses into Ames.

Daily: Is the OneAmes initiative still active, and how would you implement such a program?

Davis: The OneAmes initiative is still active. Anytime you are in a college community such as ours there is always different perspectives and opinions from residents and students. I think one of the best ways is just through increased dialogue. Individuals willing to communicate with others. If I know what residences and students are looking for, what they want, I’m going to able to be much more effective. We can achieve this through door knocking, which has been one of the most beneficial things I’ve done. Its amazing that just by having some great conversations you can understand residents concerns. We just need to facilitate discussion between everyone — residents and students — in the community.

Daily: Is there a growing crime problem in Ames and how would you deal with it?

Davis: It really depends on how you define crime. In any community you are going to have criminal activity but over the past few months there have been some high profile incidences. And so it’s something that we need to look at as a community. If we all work together we can overcome any of our challenges. We can’t eliminate crime 100 percent, but we can find solutions that will help reduce criminal activity.

Daily: Why should students vote in the city council election?

Davis: One of the biggest reasons is that they are residents of Ames. While some only live nine months out of the year for just four years, they are still a part of the community. In Ames you have 26,000 students who make up a significant economic base. And anytime there is an election there is a civic duty to vote, whether it be at the national or city level. And the Ames policies and regulations affect each student here either directly or indirectly. Students should take an active role because they are a significant population of Ames. It’s a great opportunity for them to express their opinion and become a great part of the community. It allows you to see what their concerns are. When I’m talking to students, even if I don’t agree with their opinion, in the end I always encourage them to vote. It’s something that they as a citizen need to do.