A civil engineer and Lawrence business owner has become the first candidate to officially seek a seat in this April’s Lawrence City Commission election.

Lance Johnson, owner and president of the Peridian Group, kicked off his campaign Tuesday stressing Lawrence’s need to attract more jobs to the community.

“I think it is obvious that the city is finding itself in pretty challenging times,” Johnson said. “Lawrence needs people at the highest level focused on job creation, and that is what I’m going to do.”

Johnson, 38, said he’ll be presenting more specific ideas on job creation as the campaign goes along, but said his role as a business owner makes him suited for the task.

“I understand that you have to be focused on it every day,” Johnson said. “In my business, if we’re not bringing new business in the door, we don’t survive, we don’t make payroll.”

Johnson’s business provides traditional engineering services to a variety of clients, including developers looking to build new projects in the city. Employees from his firm sometimes represent clients before the City Commission. Johnson said in those instances, he assumes, he would have to abstain from taking part in city commission discussion.

Johnson — who is married with three children — has lived in the city since 1988. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering from Kansas University.

Candidates have until Jan. 27 to file for a seat on the five-member city commission. The general election will be on April 7, and a primary election — if needed — will be on March 3.