Editor’s note: The following column is written by Jon Lindeman, who serves as a board member for Greater Jobs, Inc. His comments reflect his own opinions and do not necessarily reflect those of Greater Jobs, Inc.

Are Freeborn County, our cities, and our schools, &uot;good enough&uot;? Can we survive and prosper as we have in the past or are we &uot;good enough&uot;? Can we further economic development in our communities or are we &uot;good enough&uot;?

Can we improve our schools or are we &uot;good enough&uot;?

An answer to all of the above listed questions is, yes, we are &uot;good enough.&uot; I am not interested in &uot;good enough&uot; for Freeborn County, our cities, or our schools. It is my opinion that our communities voted for change in the election on Nov. 5. Our communities do not want the status quo. They voted to support change in the way Freeborn County, our cities, and our schools do business. It is the responsibility of all elected officials and professional public employees to recognize this change and start the process of initiating positive improvement in our attitudes toward cooperation among all governmental bodies in Freeborn County and to take some risks regarding economic development and managing our schools in our communities. I understand taking risks in the public sector is politically risky for the people involved but if we don’t we will only be &uot;good enough.&uot;

It is the responsibility of our citizens to support our elected officials and professional public employees. Citizens cannot be &uot;against virtually everything.&uot; If citizens criticize decisions made by our elected officials and professional public employees, then citizens must be expected to offer their solutions to the issues they criticize. We as a community have to be positive about where we live! A positive attitude about Freeborn County-Albert Lea is infectious! I have expanded and started new businesses in Freeborn County and Albert Lea that have created significant new employment opportunities for our community. I have a significant financial commitment to this area. Freeborn County and Albert Lea are great places to live, work, and raise a family! I have no illusions that Freeborn County and Albert Lea have tough economic development and political issues that need to be resolved!

Expect a Freeborn County and Albert Lea in which all government bodies cooperate, support economic development, and support excellence in our schools. Support and demand educated risk taking by our public institutions to achieve our community goals! Do not tolerate &uot;good enough&uot;!

Jon Lindeman is the owner of Americana National Bank and a board member of Greater Jobs, Inc.