My name is Philip Rentsch and I am running for the position of Deputy Mayor of the Town of Grand Valley. It has been an honour to serve one term on Council and I hoping to continue serving my community in a more advanced leadership position.
I grew up in East Luther Township (now part of Grand Valley) and attended elementary school in Grand Valley and high school in Shelburne. Upon graduation in 2000, I enrolled at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario, where I earned a degree in History. A love of learning led me to Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and a Master’s Degree, again in History. During my time in Halifax I was offered the opportunity to travel to Saint Petersburg, Russia. My trip to the former Soviet Union gave me the urge to travel; upon completion of my thesis I embarked on a year-long odyssey that spanned 4 continents and 20+ countries. As much as I loved exploring new places and meeting new people the pull of home was too strong and in 2008 I returned to the family farm to work with my parents.
In 2011 I assumed ownership of the operation but the three of us continue to work as a team. Dairy farming is hard work but I love being my own boss and it has given me skills that make me a valuable asset on Council. I understand how hard it is to make money; with that comes a responsibility to spend it as wisely as possible. I understand too that different generations working together make for a stronger team; we think differently but by keeping the end goal in mind, we are the better for it. My farm operates very efficiently because my parents and I remain open to each other’s ideas. I have had some of the same success during my first term on Council but too often there has been an unwillingness to change. I believe that as Deputy Mayor I will be able to have a greater impact on Council to consider different approaches to the issues facing our town. Change is difficult but as our municipality evolves so too must our Council, so that we can build a complete community that will thrive.
I have a lot of pride in this community, I was born here and I have put down roots here. I would like to continue giving back to a place, and to people, that has given so much to me. If you have any questions I can be reached by phone (519) 938-0030, email [email protected], Facebook https://www.facebook.com/phil4deputymayor/about/, or Twitter https://twitter.com/phildeputymayor
519 941 0490 [email protected]
