ENDORSEMENTS

W.L. Pate, Mayoral Candidate

W. L. Pate Jr. has served on the Beaumont City Council since 2007. He holds his Certified Municipal Official (CMO) designation through the TMLI program. He the current president of TML Region 16 and is a past member of the TML Board of Directors. He is also active at the national level with the National League of Cities (NLC) as Leadership Fellow with a Silver Designation from the NLC University, as well as serving on Community and Economic Development Federal Advocacy Committee.

W. L. is active in his community serving as president of the Babe Zaharias Foundation as well as past president and current board member of innumerable civic organizations. He is a retired Army lieutenant colonel serving 27 years in the Army Reserves. His last assignment was as command and general staff college instructor. He holds a BBA and MBA in Economics from Lamar University. He is president of PRG Services, a recruiting and consulting firm, and Polypharmacy Diagnostics, L.L.C., a provider of healthcare diagnostics to primary care and physicians of other specialties. He is an expert witness in employment law and is a certified personnel consultant and certified temporary staffing specialist. He has two daughters, Suzanne and Jennifer.

Randy Feldschau for the City Council, At-Large

Having grown up in Southeast Texas, Randy Feldschau has a heart for this community. He is a family man, married to his beautiful wife, Suzann, for more than 40 years. Randy is a faithful husband, father, grandfather, and pastor. He makes his home in Beaumont, Texas. Those who know him best speak of his integrity, compassion, and dedication to seeing great things happen in the lives of those around him.

In his role as senior pastor of Cathedral Church for over 14 years, Randy has continually impacted Beaumont, raising funds to help the needy and the poor of Southeast Texas as well as meeting the spiritual needs of the area. With over 40 years in the ministry, he is experienced in promoting community transformation, dealing with poverty, violence, racismand tragedy. He is dedicated to working with people to find not just quick solutions but lasting solutions.

“Not In My City,” a ministry affiliated with Cathedral Church, is helping to heal the racial divide within our community by promoting unified solutions to the unique problems we face. By hosting meetings with community leaders, law enforcement, and city officials Randy is opening the channels of communication and pioneering winning strategies for combating discrimination and the divisions afflicting Beaumont.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, Randy was in the front lines. Throwing open the doors of Cathedral, he organized the church as a staging area for helping victims and to be a supplies distribution point. Disaster teams from around the country were housed at Cathedral for many months. Some still are. Determined to continue helping the community recover from this catastrophic event, he spearheaded the formation of United Aid of Southeast Texas, a non-profit under the umbrella of Cathedral Church, which has rebuilt and refurbished over hundreds of homes in Southeast Texas. During the 2021 Winter storm, his church partnered with Victory Temple to feed, clothe and house the homeless in our community.

Randy Feldschau was elected the position of City Council, At-Large in 2019. He has served Beaumont with integrity and dedication. He has proven to be a friend and leader in Beaumont and to the citizens of this community. He holds a vision of a unified and healthy city, with his campaign: “One City United!”

Please re-elect Randy Feldschau for the City Council, At-Large, position on May 1, 2021. Early voting runs from April 19 - 27.

Taylor Neild, Ward 1

Taylor Neild is a native of Beaumont, Texas where he attended local public schools. He earned the honor of Eagle Scout through Boy Scouts of America. Neild graduated from Lamar University with a Bachelor of Science in Business.

Neild is the CEO of H.B. Neild & Sons, Inc., a family-owned business founded in 1932. As the fourth generation continues the legacy of excellence set forth by its founders, Neild works along side his father, brothers and sister. Over the years, the company has grown and diversified into a large-scale commercial and industrial construction company that focuses on providing quality work.

Neild is married to Andrea Kotz Neild and they have 4 children: Emily, Taylor, Jr., and twins Carter and Cole. They are members of First Baptist Church where Neild has worshipped for over 37 years.

He is a member of Association of General Contractors where he served as President. He is a past Board Member of Beaumont Main Street, and currently serves as Beaumont Council representative for Ward 1. He is running for a second term unopposed.

Neild is a private pilot and loves to hunt and fish with his family.

Mike Getz, Ward 2

Mike Getz is an elected City Councilmember in Beaumont, Texas. He serves as Councilman for Ward 2, which is the West End of Beaumont and he has held that position since 2011.

He is Married to Allison Nathan Getz, who is the elected Tax Assessor and Voter Registrar for Jefferson County. They have three children: Lee Golias; Ann “Buffin” Golias; Jacob Getz.

Mr. Getz was raised in Port Arthur, Texas, and earned the rank of Eagle Scout at age 13. He graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School in 1974 and Lamar University in 1978 with a bachelor’s degree in secondary education.

While attending Lamar University, Mr. Getz worked as a sports reporter for the Beaumont Enterprise. Upon graduation from Lamar University, he taught science for one year at Lumberton High School, and then took a job as a professional scouter with the Three Rivers Council, Boy Scouts of America.

Mr. Getz joined the U.S. Postal Service in 1982 and applied to law school in 1986. He worked his way through law school as a letter carrier and graduated from South Texas College of Law in 1989.

Mr. Getz has practiced law in Beaumont for 30 years, handling a broad variety of cases. He was noted for his involvement in cleaning up corruption in the Beaumont Independent School District.

He is a former director of the Nederland Rotary Club, and has served on the boards of Beaumont Main Street; Young Audiences of Southeast Texas; Three Rivers Council, Boy Scouts of America; YMCA. He is currently on the board of Temple Emanuel in Beaumont and serves as President of the Temple Emanuel Brotherhood.

Audwin Samuel, Ward 3

Audwin was born in the small town of Newton, Texas on September 20, 1954, the only son of the late Millard F. Samuel and Dorothy Brailsford-Samuel. Audwin moved to Beaumont, Tx. in the mid-sixties and attended local public schools, graduating in 1972. He furthered his education by attending Lamar University on a football scholarship and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology.

After graduation he was employed by the Gulf Oil Corporation as a process operator, the Xerox Corporation as a marketing executive and the United States Department of Commerce, Minority Business Development Center as a program director.

Audwin then pursued a law degree from the Thurgood Marshall School of Law, on the campus of Texas Southern University. After receiving his doctorate degree of juris prudence, he joined The Provost/Umphrey Law Firm until forming his own firm, The Samuel & Son Law Firm, PLLC, where he has practiced civil and criminal law for over 25 years.

Audwin has volunteered more than 35 years of service to his community and is presently serving his 18th term as a Beaumont City Councilman, representing Ward III.

As councilman he has served on several state and national boards. Presently he serves on the Board of Directors, as a founding member of the Texas Association of Black City Council Members and The National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials Board of Directors as Past President.

Audwin is also an active member of Antioch Missionary Baptist Church, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Prince Hall Masonic Order and the 100 Black Men of America.

Chris Durio, Ward 4

For 31 years, Chris Durio served Beaumont as a fire fighter. Now, he wants to continue his service as City Council member for Ward 4, where he has lived for most of his life.

Chris has a passion for our community and his leadership skills are what is needed to advance Beaumont and make it an even better place to live and work. Before retiring from the Beaumont Fire Department in 2017, Chris served for over 15 years on the IAFF 399 executive board. With this experience, he knows City Hall and would be ready to serve on day one.

Protecting families is everything to Chris, both professionally and personally. He and his wife, Gwendolyn, have been married for 29 years. They have two adult children and four grandchildren.

Chris is a member of Our Mother of Mercy Catholic Church and member of Knights of Peter Claver. He is the past Tyrell park neighborhood association vice president and past president of Spindletop Little League. Chris Durio graduated from Hebert High School in 1980 and attended Lamar University.