At Guadalupe Centers, the board of directors, employees and community members have watched Lopez’s political rise with pride. He says he’s enjoyed nothing but support from them and he can do both jobs as he’s been doing for the past several years. Likewise, city officials have supported Lopez’s initiatives at one of the largest nonprofit organizations in the Midwest.
That support comes from all sides, with at least one local resident voicing her support in a recent Facebook post.
“He’s been right by Mayor Bill Baird’s side for the
last eight years as Mayor
Pro Temp. They’ve built a booming local economy, have created a healthy city council and staff environment, and left legacies in place that
will impact our city for generations,” wrote Melanie Coleman Adkins (lower picture).
BY JOE ARCE AND COREY CRABLE
Beto Lopez’s leadership has ushered in an era of unprecedented growth for the Guadalupe Centers since he ascended to the role of President and CEO in 2017. Now, he wants to put his leadership skills to further use at in the mayor’s chair at City Hall in Lee’s Summit Missouri.
Lopez, who has served on the Lee’s Summit City Council for seven years, announced recently his candidacy for mayor. Currently, Lopez serves as Mayor Pro Tempore, serving on behalf of current Mayor Bill Baird when needed.
Lopez says his time on the city council and his executive leadership experience have prepared him for the new role he seeks.
“I feel like I bring a different leadership perspective and my expertise and what I’m good at, understanding real estate and finance. That’s really my background,” Lopez says. “I think that feeling that I had then, I still feel the same way now, and here now I have something to show for it.”
Lee’s Summit population has swelled during Lopez’s time on the city council. According to the city’s website, more than 106,000 people now call Lee’s Summit home – and that growth is evident in the growing number of commercial construction projects within city limits.
“I’ve had a lot of people give me really positive encouragement, saying that they hope that I run for mayor because they see a lot of the positive things that have happened in that community, that I’ve had a lot to do with that. And so that’s comforting and motivating for me, and that helped me make the decision to run. I want to keep the momentum going,” Lopez says. “We have more commercial construction than any time in the history of Lee’s Summit. That’s a big thing, creating new jobs more jobs and opportunities.”
Despite the city’s growth, Lopez admits that there is plenty that still needs to be improved – mainly, he says, infrastructure and affordable housing.
“You have infrastructure problems like streets and curves and sewers and all that kind of stuff that becomes a challenge, and it’s hard to keep up with all that as a city,” he notes. “And so there’s a lot of areas like flooding issues we’ve done some work there, but we need to do more.”
And on housing, Lopez says, “There’s a challenge with finding affordable housing for people. For younger professionals or a younger workforce, they can’t afford to move into a single-family home. And that’s something that’s a challenge that we’ve started working on, but as mayor that’s going to be really important for me to kind of help find a more permanent solution to help with that.”
At Guadalupe Centers, the board of directors, employees and community members have watched Lopez’s political rise with pride, he says he’s enjoyed nothing but support from them and he can do both jobs as he’s been doing for the past several years. Likewise, city officials have supported Lopez’s initiatives at one of the largest nonprofit organizations in the Midwest.
“We have a great team that allows me to attend committee meetings and other board meetings that help GCI because I’m an elected official, because I have a good team that allows me to do all those things,” he explains. “They know that I have a very important responsibility at Guadalupe Centers, and they respect that and are very open about that. And so I appreciate it because on both sides, I feel very supported and have good teams that will allow me to be the best mayor possible.”
That support comes from all sides, with at least one local resident voicing her support in a recent Facebook post.
“He’s been right by Mayor Bill Baird’s side for the last eight years as Mayor Pro Temp. They’ve built a booming local economy, have created a healthy city council and staff environment, and left legacies in place that will impact our city for generations,” wrote Melanie Coleman Adkins. “Full of integrity, character, and compassion, his career in commercial real estate is exactly the expertise we continue to rely on as we navigate tax-smart growth for our community. There is literally no one in Lee’s Summit who is better prepared to step into the shoes of Mayor Baird, and I’m so proud to stand with Beto and his family this year as they gear up for his next term serving our city.”
Lopez says he has always felt a need to serve his community, and living in the Westside served as the perfect opportunity to see that service in action.
“This is something that’s a calling for me to help make a difference in the community, and the ironic part is, I’ve done it almost at the same time I tell people I left the Westside over 25 years ago, but I never really left,” he says. “I’ve always been involved as a volunteer whether it’s the parish or Guadalupe Centers. … In Lee’s Summit, my wife Venessa and I raised our kids, and to be a good neighbor, you have to try to make a difference where you live also.”
Lopez says he gets that same satisfaction from serving the city of Lee’s Summit, adding that the
two communities share many traits.
“I call it my two worlds in my life – Lee’s Summit, and the Guadalupe Centers in the Westside. They’re very similar. They’re so similar. And those worlds combine often, but growing up on the Westside and knowing what it’s like today, it makes me very proud.
And you know what? Lee’s Summit is the same way.”
For more information on Lopez’s mayoral campaign, visit www.BetoLopez4Mayor.com.
