We are already a month into 2023 and there is lots to be excited about on the horizon. I am reaching out now in my inaugural newsletter to welcome you to “Keep up with Keating.”

The past year was great! I wanted to provide everyone with a little synopsis as well as prime you all for what’s to come. Despite the first half of my second term being largely offline due to the COVID-19 pandemic, over the past several months I was able to dive right back into exciting events, policy initiatives, and of course—the unique Tempe-centric experiences that make our community so vibrant.

Last summer and fall, I got to attend celebratory events like that of the inaugural holiday to honor Juneteenth and the 50th anniversary of Tempe’s Oktoberfest and Sister Cities partnership. I participated in Tempe’s kickball league, The Pitchforks, with colleagues and peers. I was even named Player of the Week at one point.

I attended the Education Forward Arizona Awards alongside critical members of the City of Tempe Office of Education, Career and Family Services to accept the North Star Award for Early Learning for Tempe PRE--our city’s full-service preschool program.

Most recently, I was invited to the local FUEL Committee’s monthly meeting as their guest speaker, where I mused about the importance of civic engagement and political participation from young people. I also joined my fellow Councilmembers Joel Navarro and Arlene Chin at the Tempe Governance Day leadership presentation to discuss what servitude in this great city has meant to us. This was a fantastic bookend to the end of a stellar year and the start of a new one.

I am grateful to the staff who I’ve worked alongside on all of this, be it casually over a fun kickball game or a strenuous late-night executive session. I have inevitably bonded with and formed invaluable connections with many wonderful individuals in the city—employees and constituents alike. In the coming year, I am working on greater plans to secure long term funding for Tempe PRE, access medical leave benefits for city employees, and a variety of other exciting initiatives aimed at bettering the lives of and bolstering the rights of working citizens.
 
Thanks for reading, you’ll hear from me again soon!
 
Councilmember Randy Keating

Faces and Places

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of Oktoberfest and Tempe's partnership with Sister Cities and my fellow councilmembers.

Attending Education Forward Arizona's North Star Awards--where I was honored to accept Tempe PRE's award for Early Childhood learning. I attended the ceremony with Naomi Farrell and Marie Raymond, two critical members of our city's education office and true champions of this great program.

Speaking to the FUEL committee, an arm of the Tempe Chamber of Commerce aimed at empowering young professionals as stewards of the business community through professional development. We talked about the importance of civic engagement and community participation for Tempe's younger residents.

And of course, being a team player with the Pitchforks kickball team!