"You can do it!" these were the words of family and friends when they heard that susanne reinhardt was going to run for mayor of the thermal spa town. "I can!" the 41-year-old is also convinced of this herself. When asked why voters should vote for her, her answer comes without much thought: "I bring experience and skills from my job, I have assertiveness, I stand up for my opinion."
And why does she do this to herself: the election campaign for the mayor's post, with countless appointments and public attention?? "Because the office of mayor is an interesting, varied and fulfilling task. It is not a job from 8 a.M. To 4 p.M., but a task that must be lived. The office of mayor has an honorary component, even though it is remunerated." whereby the keyword "remuneration" is "salary" that in a comparable position in the private sector, a higher income could be achieved. The mayor of a town like bad rodach is an A15 grade employee.
Committed to the community
Susanne Reinhardt started working politically even before the 2008 municipal election. At that time, she ran for the city council on behalf of the freie wahler, and later worked on the integrated urban development concept (ISEK). "From there it has grown over the years." so she knows how much (free) time is spent on political work. She has been a member of the burgerverein and the UWR since 2008. "I'm interested in the non-partisan approach of the free voters: not being committed to a particular party policy, but to the community and the tasks on the ground."
She is also a member of the board of TSV 1860 bad rodach. Eventually, the point came when the young woman caught the attention of the incumbent mayor, gerold strobel (). He asked if she was confident about this office, for which he did not want to run again. "This is not something you normally have in your life plan", says susanne reinhardt and looks over her coffee cup into the empty space, as if to remind herself. "Gerold strobel and i were standing in front of the town hall, we were talking and he described the task in the most beautiful colors."
With this promising description in her ears, she went home – and with her thoughts: should she really run for office, what will her employer say, for example, and how can she reconcile her job and the election campaign?? Susanne reinhardt has been working at the coburg machine tool manufacturer kapp for twelve years. She has been a product manager there since 2007. Before that, she worked for the same company as head of sales controlling/public relations and as a management assistant. "I can count on support from my employer for my candidacy." in many ways, the work of a mayor is similar to what you do at kapp today.
Work instead of handicrafts
"It's all strategic, and it's all about entrepreneurial leadership." she also benefits from the experience she has gained in life. She was not one to take the easy way out: although it was customary in school for the girls to take a handicrafts course in the seventh grade, susanne reinhardt opted instead for handicrafts and technical drawing. "I was more interested in that." even before graduating from high school in bad rodach, she completed an internship at siemens as a technical draftswoman.
"I didn't really like the classic girls' jobs", she remembers. But she was denied an apprenticeship as a technical draftswoman because the companies required applicants to have a tur high school diploma. Instead, she began an apprenticeship as a toolmaker at brose. "I believe that my analytical skills and structured work result from this activity. And besides, you learn to assert yourself because it's a man's world."
After completing her apprenticeship, susanne reinhardt worked for two years at brose as a toolmaker. From 1993, she attended the technical college in sonneberg, where she graduated as a "state-certified mechanical engineering technician concluded. She graduated from the coburg technical college in 1995. She went on to study industrial engineering at the university of applied sciences in jena. During her studies she also did an internship in a company in birmingham/ uk.
Brother died in motorcycle accident
A stroke of fate struck the young woman in 2003 when her brother died in a motorcycle accident. Suddenly, in addition to her work at kapp, she had to take care of the family business, the reinhardt bakery. But that didn't work in the long run, and so she closed the business at the end of 2007. "With a heavy heart, she recalls. Susanne reinhardt has taken a kind of maxim with her from that time: "life is finite, and you only have one thing – so you should use it properly."
When asked about her political goals, susanne reinhardt sees one particular, overriding, often "megatrend" called: the impact of demographic change. "When you apply for the office of mayor, it's because you want to do it for a long time, not just for a legislative term. And if you think in a longer time frame, the demographic change is the most important element. Because it has a considerable influence on the municipal structures."
What tasks await her when she becomes mayor of bad rodach is something susanne reinhardt knows quite well. She read a lot and especially talked to the outgoing incumbent gerold strobel. "After that, i thought again: can i do this, do i want to do this??" her candidacy is the answer to this question.
In addition to professional know-how, political and life experience, susanne reinhardt has another possible plus point: "i am a woman, a female mayor would be a unique selling point for bad rodach"." she lets the words sink in, then grins and hints at a shake of her head: "no, that alone is certainly not a reason. It's all about technical know-how – and i have a lot to offer there."
These are the goals of susanne reinhardt
The spa is one of susanne reinhardt's "top priorities" on the priority list. It is necessary to analyze who the target group(s) of this facility are in order to adapt the offers to them. "Making the profile of the 'therme' product clearer, that's a marketing task." the cost structure of the spa should also be reviewed.
Wallgraben the redesign of the wallgraben raises further questions for the mayoral candidate, for example: what will become of the pestalozzi school, which is currently vacant??
For susanne reinhardt, the "zum goldenen lowen" inn in particular is on the priority list for the marketplace in focus. Currently, it has not been decided what will become of it: "people are waiting for something to happen."
Local bypass it bothers the candidate that the 2205 state highway runs through the middle of town. For about 20 years, the construction of a bypass road has been the issue. "We have to keep up and keep pushing for the bypass to come in." the city center should not become completely car-free, she stresses. She has a model in mind similar to the one in seblach: at certain times, the city center remains car-free.
Maintaining contacts susanne reinhardt considers it important to establish and expand contacts: among others, with the district, the business community and the government of upper franconia.