Jay Knudtson

For many years, Cape Girardeau mayoral candidate Jay Knudtson made a living as a hockey referee.

Knudtson enjoys riding his Harley Davidson motorcycle.

He likes to play golf.

He says his best friend is his 7-year-old son, Gunnar.

And he's also a senior vice president with Bank of America.

Knudtson is nothing if not versatile.

But Knudtson, 38, believes that his leadership ability is what sets him apart from the other candidates.

"I view the role as mayor as one that is a negotiator and facilitator," he said. "All the candidates agree that the role, by definition, is not a powerful one. But it is about being a spokesman for the city and about bringing people together and getting them to connect. There are different opinions and views. So I think it's critical to have a strong-minded and fair mayor to make the tough decisions when they come about."

Knudtson has been active in the community for several years. He has lived in Cape Girardeau for the last 12 years.

He has been a member of the Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation board for eight years and the chairman for the last seven. He coaches baseball and hockey in the city's youth programs.

He is also a member of the Southeast Hospital Foundation Board and past treasurer and executive board member of the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce.

Knudtson said he is very aware of the issues and challenges that face Cape Girardeau. Among his concerns are finding ways to relieve budget limitations and discovering how to entice Southeast Missouri State University graduates to stay in Cape Girardeau.

Knudtson said a friend of his who is a professor at Southeast asked his students how many were planning to stay in Cape Girardeau after they graduated. None of the 25 students in his class raised their hands, Knudtson said.

"We have to do more than educate people in our town," he said. "We need to create an environment for our young people to not only get educated in Cape Girardeau, but get them to start their careers in Cape Girardeau and raise their families in Cape Girardeau."

Among his top priorities is to look at the big picture and provide a sense of unity among the city's leaders.

"To a certain degree, it seems our leaders are tied up in knots right now, whether it be university officials, business leaders or city officials," Knudtson said. "And as a result, it seems our city is tied up in knots. This is something I'm extremely excited about, the opportunity to bring these people together. It's about bridging the gap."

Knudtson grew up in Minnesota. He attended the University of Minnesota on a baseball scholarship. He has been with Bank of America since 1989 and is married to Cindy (Cantrell) Knudtson.

--Bob Miller