Commission application number 165 submitted by Richard Heyman on 06/25/2020

First Name Richard
Middle Name/Initial D
Last Name Heyman
Voter Unique Identification number 1132542454
Ethnicity White
Gender Male
Age 45-54
Education Level Post-Graduate Degree
Major Pursued Geography
What is your occupation? Professor
Submitted Address
City Austin
State TX
Zip 78722
Verified Address
City Austin
State TX
Zip 78722
Do you have a spouse or domestic partner? Yes
Spouse/Domestic Partner First Name Gretchen
Spouse/Domestic Partner Middle Name/Initial A
Spouse/Domestic Partner Last Name Murphy
Are you applying to be the student member of the commission? No
Have you been continuously registered to vote in the City of Austin for the last five years? Yes
Have you voted in 3 of the last 5 City of Austin general elections (or corresponding runoff if applicable)? Yes
Been appointed to a state or city office? No
Been elected to a state or city office? No
Been a candidate for a state or city office? No
Served as an officer, employee, or paid consultant of a political party? No
Served as an officer, employee, or paid consultant of the campaign committee of a candidate for elective state, county, or city office? No
Been a registered state or local lobbyist? No
A paid employee of the City of Austin? No
A person performing paid services under a professional services contract with the City of Austin? No
A person performing paid services under a professional or personal services contract to the City Council of the City of Austin or to any individual member of the City Council of the City of Austin? No
A controlling person of a person performing paid services under a professional or personal services contract to any member of the City Council of the City of Austin? No
Contribute or bundle one thousand dollars ($1,000) or more in aggregate to candidates for City of Austin elective office? No
Please describe your relevant analytical skills. As a trained social scientist with a PhD in urban geography from the University of Washington, I have spent my career analyzing quantitative and qualitative data through a spatial lens, as well as teaching thousands of students over the past two decades to do so as well. I have also partnered with several local nonprofit organizations in Austin to advise them on research methodologies and protocols of analysis. In general, I am a very analytical person, always seeking verifiable data and facts.
Please describe your ability to be impartial. Part of my PhD training was in recognizing how each of us is always “situated” in the world with respect to race, gender, socioeconomic class, sexuality, ideology, ableness, etc. and reflecting on our own positions as part of the process of research and analysis. By becoming aware of how these axes of identity shape us, we are in a better position to see beyond them (to the extent that we can). I have made this reflexive approach part of my professional practice for more than two decades now, in my academic writing and in my teaching, both of which require impartiality. I have also served on juries and understand the importance of impartiality in public service. One of the juries that I served on was here in the Federal District Court in Austin, where I was chosen by my fellow jurors to be foreperson.
Please describe your appreciation for the City of Austin's diverse demographics and geography. As an urban geographer who has studied, lived in, and taught about Austin for 15 years, I have a deep knowledge of and appreciation for the history of the development of our city and region, with particular attention to issues of race/ethnicity, immigration, and socioeconomic class, and especially how inequalities and segregations along those lines have shaped development patterns in Austin and intersected with issues of political representation, access, and participation. I am also keenly aware that the 10-1 system was key in electing the most diverse City Council in Austin’s history, making the work of this commission critically important to allowing all voices to be at the table as we tackle key challenges together.
Please provide your employment history. Since 2006 I have taught geography and urban studies at UT. Prior to that I taught at the University of Minnesota, Morris. My academic work has focused on the cultural and political geographies of cities in the US.
Please provide any other information you wish to be considered during the selection of the most qualified applicants for the Commission. I have always valued public service, and served two years on the CodeNext Citizens’ Advisory Group, where I stressed the importance of citizen input and data-driven policy. I feel that as a trained geographer I am especially qualified to help my fellow citizens in the process of redrawing the council districts.
How did you hear about redistricting/Applicant Review Panel? From family or friend
Disclaimer Agreement Checked
Disclaimer Signature Richard Heyman
District District 9
Does this application qualify? Yes