"I'm a Kansan!"

Similar to John F. Kennedy's famous '63 quote while touring West Germany, "Ich bin ein Berliner" ("I am a Berliner"), I am a Kansan! I am not encouraging any comparison to Kennedy, but I am proud to be reared and schooled in the great state of Kansas. I'm looking forward to getting back. But, let me start at the beginning.

I'm David Paul Joseph, but I respond better to a simple, "Paul." Perhaps you've heard that I'm headed to Garden City to lead your Chamber of Commerce, the Garden City Area Chamber of Commerce. I am honored - and excited to get going!

First, let me express my appreciation to the Chamber board of directors and especially board chair, Don Linville. They've performed a superb job in the process of hiring a new Chamber Executive. They have represented Garden City well. Additionally, I want to thank Carol Meyer who has done an outstanding job as your Chamber leader for the past 28 years. As I read more background information including bylaws, policies and all the material that makes a Chamber click, I continue to be more and more impressed. It's all first class.

As for me, I cut my teeth on Chamber work beginning in the late 90's in Northwest Arkansas, one of the fastest growing areas of the nation with three Fortune 500 companies within a 30-minute drive. I worked closely with the other nearby Chambers and witnessed their colossal growth, as well. We worked regionally though competitively. I enjoyed a great deal of success at the Siloam Springs, Arkansas Chamber of Commerce where along with community leadership and involvement we instituted business-beneficial programs and achieved wonderful accomplishments.

In addition to what you may have read about me, I have had the privilege to serve as a city planning and zoning commissioner, an elected municipal official for my city (councilman) and as president of both a Northwest Arkansas regional economic development organization and president of the state association of Arkansas Chamber executives. While in Highland, Illinois - a community about 30 minutes from the downtown St. Louis arch - I worked as a city staffer. I was responsible for the city's planning and zoning commission, the building inspections department and was the director of the economic development commission and its body of work.

I am married to a terrific lady who keeps me in line, Deborah Joseph. Between the two of us we have six grown children living in Northwest Arkansas and Northeast Oklahoma.

Oh, my Kansas connection? I was born just across the state line in another state that will go nameless but grew up on the best side of Kansas City, the Kansas side! I come from blue-collar and hard-working, Wyandotte County! After graduating from the University of Kansas with a degree in broadcast journalism in the late 70's, I found myself in radio bouncing from state to state and finally ending up in Arkansas.

While in Arkansas, I owned and operated a commercial egg farm business with my parents (a 65,000 laying hen operation), managed an egg processing plant business where I processed and sold up to five semi-truck loads of eggs every week and was, finally, a realtor selling homes and farms. I have built houses, too!

Lastly, an Arkansas acquaintance took me with him to Highland, Illinois where I've worn two hats, one in economic development and the other in community development. I earned the trust of the business community making sure they understood their bottom line was equally important to the city as to them and that the city's desire was to enable them to grow and prosper.

I'm very interested in your views and what you think makes Garden City business friendly. Drop in for a visit. When you do, you'll see my University of Arkansas Razorback memorabilia intermixed with my Kansas Jayhawk coffee mugs, wall-hangings and such. Even though when cut, I bleed KU blue, you'll find I regularly root for the Razorbacks, too!