George M. Guastello

First Candidate: George M. Guastello

Hometown: Leawood

Occupation: Owner of GMG Consulting, which helps small entrepreneurial businesses with marketing and strategy.

Past experience: President and CEO of the nonprofit American Royal Association, Kansas City, Mo., 2001-2007; vice president for marketing and business strategy for the Starlight Theatre Association in Kansas City, 1999-2001; Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, small business manager, 1990-1994, vice president for existing business, 1994-1997, and senior vice president for marketing and strategic development 1997-1999; Commerce Bank, Kansas City, Mo., 1984-1990, including assistant vice president for commercial banking, 1986-1990.

Education: University of Missouri at Kansas City, bachelor’s degree in marketing, 1982, and M.B.A., 1984.

Why he wants the job: “(One thing) that really drew me to Lawrence is kind of that spirit, that championship spirit, that unspoken feeling when you walk down Massachusetts Street, you see that community. It’s a learning community. It’s one that’s willing to listen, to explore, to question, to evaluate, and hopefully then to be able to develop a strategy to bring to reality.”

Possible plans: Working to foster the bioscience industry and recruit businesses and KU graduates for those jobs.

Strengths: “George is very collaborative. George has a very good record of taking nonprofit organizations and doing turnarounds and making them successful,” said Jim Otten, a Lawrence dentist and chamber chairman.

The two other candidates will meet the public from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday at the Kansas University Lied Center’s Seymour Gallery.