I’ve proudly called Natchitoches home for nearly four decades, wearing hats as a university administrator, community activist, servant leader, and family man. Susu Williamson Burke, my wife and a Natchitoches native, and our family, including daughter Catherine and son-in-law Joseph Faucheaux, embody deep local roots. Our granddaughter, Madeline Jean, is a testament to resilience. She was born prematurely at 24 weeks and, thanks to prayers, is on the path to coming home soon.

My strong commitment to my community fuels my Council-at-Large bid, driven by a belief that Natchitoches deserves accelerated growth. I envision the image of our city being viewed positively from the inside and out but while progress has been made, there is much work to be done in order for that to be achieved. Doing so begins with acknowledging the city’s strengths and weaknesses.

Our assets include a beautiful downtown historic district, strategic location, diversity focus, secured grants, and a university. The hurdles include crime (a must to address), infrastructure, economic development, and declining university enrollment. Our assets and hurdles are interconnected. For example, crime reduction and robust infrastructure are magnets for economic growth. Challenges can actually unite a community provided we embrace diverse perspectives.

My leadership style centers on team building, as seen in my roles as athletic director, committee member, and civic group president. Rooted in hard work inherited from my schoolteacher father and industrious mother, I pledge sweat equity.

If you’re familiar with my background, you’re aware of my qualifications for this role. If we have not had the chance to meet, I look forward to sharing my vision with you.

All for one, One for all, All for Natchitoches!

Invested in Natchitoches

Current Memberships and Associations:

Past Memberships and Associations:

Building a Cohesive Community

A Councilman’s Leadership Skill Set

Being an effective Councilman-at-Large centers on a) knowing the community’s strengths and its areas in need of improvement b) having the skill set to be a part of that solution.

If the citizens of Natchitoches give me the honor of being their next Councilman-at-Large, I promise to fully utilize my “professional toolbox” to help our city reach its maximum potential. While not all-inclusive, here is a snapshot of what citizens can expect from Greg Burke:

Finally, you can count on me to ask the right questions (your questions) and in a professional way (one of my favorite phrases is “It is not that you say it but how you say it) and make tough decisions. A resident recently challenged me to do just that, and if I did, he said, “Not everybody is going to be happy but if it is for the greater good, then it will stick.”

The 1970 hit “Watcha See Is Watcha Get” by soul music group The Dramatics will define my modus operandi. I will be me and I will be there for you.

Remember, early voting begins this Saturday, March 9, and is open through the following Saturday, March 16. Election Day is Saturday, March 3. I respectfully ask for your vote – #35 Greg Burke for Councilman-at-Large.

All For One. One For All. All for Natchitoches.

That slogan has been a marketing vehicle for my campaign and with election day on the horizon this Saturday, here is a snapshot of what it means to me.

All For One. It is natural – and OK – for citizens of Natchitoches to have differing viewpoints regarding the strengths and weaknesses of our city. In fact, it is healthy. At the end of the day, however, it must be remembered that what is best for Natchitoches must be the priority.

The Councilman-at-Large must live up to the “at-large” title of that position and be the “glue” for all four city districts…and be a leader in determining what is “best for Natchitoches.” If elected, my communication city-wide will stay at an elevated level as it has during this campaign. I will be accessible and transparent. I will be prompt in answering phone calls (318-663-5459) and email (gsjb1022@gmail.com).

One For All. Our city must be inclusive and beneficial for all. “All” means our senior citizens, who are the foundation of Natchitoches, as well as retirees who’ve moved here…the hard-working citizens, who do that day in and day out…the younger generation, who are our future leaders and hopefully stay here to impact our city…college students, who bring vitality and fresh perspective to our community…and the youth of Natchitoches, who need options and opportunities which provide the right path towards adulthood, especially as it relates to education.

The Councilman-at-Large must value and connect with each of those groups by being visible, accessible, and most importantly, a good listener. After listening to the citizens (something I have already been doing for the past two months), my role is to be the voice of the community to the mayor and city council.

All For Natchitoches. At the end of the day, if Natchitoches wins, we all win. For Natchitoches to reach its maximum potential, strong leadership is necessary. The Councilman-at-Large must be active, informed, transparent and somebody who can collaborate with a broad spectrum of individuals (I did that as an Athletic Director) to achieve change and help lead our city to “victories” in areas which are critical to the future of Natchitoches (crime, infrastructure, economic growth, workforce development and a strong university to name some top of list items).

I have enjoyed meeting and sharing my vision to be the next Natchitoches Councilman-at-Large with many Natchitoches citizens. I humbly ask for your vote this Saturday at your regular polling location (voting is not held at the courthouse on election day) from 7 a.m. – 8 p.m. For more information, call the Registrar of Voters office at 357-2211 or check the geauxvote.com app.

A Door-to-Door Journey Towards Change

Someone told me that the most enjoyable part of campaigning would be meeting people while going door to door. That person was right!

I have knocked on close to 2,000 doors – and am still knocking – and while it has been nice to see so many friends, I especially have embraced the opportunity to meet somebody new and make an impression on them in a brief period to consider voting for me. A part of my door-to-door visits include listening to feedback about our city. For the record, I am keeping a summary of those observations and will absolutely be sharing that information with the mayor and fellow council members to determine how it could make our city better.

The “rack card” that I either hand to somebody at their front door or leave in the door if they are not home/unable to answer contains a snapshot of who I am and what I am about. For a much deeper dive, I encourage citizens to check out my website – gregburke.net. The website contains my previous editorials about crime, my skill set and why I am running along with my current and past list of community service activities. To date, the website has had approximately 1,800 hits since launching in mid-January.

With early voting having started this past Saturday at the Natchitoches Parish Courthouse and running through this Saturday, March 16, I encourage you to “use your voice” and if possible, go to the polls during the early voting period. The official election day is Saturday, March 23 but as I have been saying to everyone with whom I visit, why wait until that one day and risk the chance of something preventing them from voting?

Finally, I wish my Council-at-Large opponents the best of luck. I respect their ambition to pursue this office. As I have also said, I am not running against those individuals but rather, am passionate about running for an office which, if elected, would represent one of the greatest honors of my life. Furthermore, I would work tirelessly to reaffirm the trust placed in me by the voters.

Thank you for considering a vote for Councilman-at-Large Candidate #35, Greg Burke.

All for one. One for all. All for Natchitoches!