2009 MPPOA Board Elections - Candidate Information

The annual MPPOA Board of Directors election will take place April 15 to April 23. There are 4 open seats. You will be asked to vote for one, two, three or up to four candidates for the Board. Each candidate was asked to submit answers to the following:

• Name
• Rank
• Current Assignement
• Why you want to serve on the Board and what skills you bring

The top three candidates will get a three year term, the fourth a one year term.

Paul Fleischauer
Police Officer
North Patrol Nights

Bring to the board: A strong voice willing to work with management as an advocate for the union as well as stand up to management as an adversary when necessary. I have a strong familiarity with our contract as well as the historical knowledge of past practices and grievences. Want to work with the membership to strengthen our cohesion as a union to make for a stronger voice in negotiations with the city for better wages without sacrificing benefits like fully paid health insurance.

Steve Heimsness
Police Officer
Nights Patrol for 12 years

The reason I am running for the Board is the same reason I initially ran: to serve the members of the Association.

I am currently Treasurer for the MPPOA and have been for the past several years.  Our union is financially sound and accountable.  When I first became Treasurer, I found a professional accounting firm specializing in unions and non-profit organizations to service our needs.  This established a series of checks and balances to ensure security in our operations and proper oversight of expenses and operations.

I also oversee, with the assistance of a investment professional, a contingency fund held in reserve in the event of a legal conflict or large and unexpected expense.  That contingency fund was sheltered prior to the recent economic downturn and we have retained approximately 80% of its value over the last few unstable months.

I have experience assisting our members in disciplinary matters and understand how difficult the process can be from an Officer's perspective.  I stand by to represent any of our members whenever necessary; be it day or night, workday or RDO.

I ask and thank you for your vote, respectfully pledging to deliver the best service to you I can in the future and have in the past.

Jim Donnell
Patrol-K9

I'll throw my name in the hat. I'd like to be more involved in future negations and served briefly as a TMPD representative before coming to the city.

Scott Favour

Hello,

I am running again for the M.P.P.O.A. Board of Directors. I have no intention of becoming the President of the Union again, but I do want to offer my experience to the membership. I am very pleased with the direction of the M.P.P.O.A. and wish to help continue moving the Union forward in the future.

For those of you who do not know me, I have been with the M.P.D. since 1995. I currently work 10p-6a central on State St. I have at one time or another worked on all details and in all of the districts in the City. I have also been a neighborhood officer and was a member of the Task Force Operations unit in the late 1990’s. I was on the Union Board of Directors from 1999-2008 when I decided to step away from the Board of Directors. I am pleased with Dan Frei’s leadership and hope to help out with any and all Union endeavors. I am currently on the Board of Directors for the Wisconsin Professional Police Association.

I hope you will vote for me.

Thanks,
Scott Favour

Jason Freedman

I am currently the North CPT Sergeant; I was hired in 1997.

I am pleased to have completed my first term on the board; I came to the board with the intent of encouraging and supporting respectful challenges to the status quo, and pushing for more transparency, accountability, and consistency at all levels of our organization. I supported the rdo grievance and the holding out on recent contract negotiations--both of which resulted in gains for the membership. I also support continued scrutiny/refinement of the promotional process, and an activist, vocal union stance on the upcoming 5 shift plan. I will continue to support and push for initiatives that are for the benefit of the membership. To that end, I truly believe that some fights are worth fighting, even if success is not guaranteed.

I have also represented a number of members involved professional standards investigations (especially use of force related), and look forward to using my experiences and training to continue to serve you.

Scott McConnell
Rank: Police Officer
Assignment: Patrol on dayshift

I have been with the department for over 21 years and a S.W.A.T. team member since 1991 after returning from Desert Storm. I am currently serving the team as a sniper. My experiences include; field training officer, firearms instructor, and Remington and Colt armorer. I have served on several committees including the K-9 and Promotional Academy committees. I am at this time the secretary for the M.P.P.O.A. board and a proud advocate for officers under investigation by management or Professional Standards. I have also been active assisting with the past several contracts with the city and management, as well as several grievances. I look forward to continued service on your behalf.