In Orem, the answer is yes.

We would like to introduce ourselves. We are Stronger Together. We are Orem residents who met three years ago (2022) when we were all concerned about one issue: a proposal by the Orem city mayor and city council to create an Orem-only school district. We are proud that we helped voters soundly defeat that initiative with nearly 72% of the vote. We have continued to exist in various forms as we’ve helped elect new Orem city council members (2023), attempted to stop a 3-way split of Alpine School District, and supported other candidates for elected offices. We are a fully volunteer, grassroots organization with no ties to any political party. We have a thriving, enthusiastic Facebook discussion group, a website, and a political action committee (PAC) called Stronger Orem.

Don’t be scared off by the words “political” and “PAC.” As we quickly found out, anyone can donate money to a cause or candidate. But if you want to collect donations from many people to oppose (or support) a political issue in an organized way, you have to formally register with the state and report your income and expenses transparently on financial disclosures. So that’s what we did.

Who runs Stronger Together? Our leadership has shifted over the past couple years, due to personal circumstances or situations. Some of our former leaders decided to run for offices this year and we all felt it would be prudent if they stepped back from leadership responsibilities.

Today, Stronger Together is headed by Keith Wilson, Cissy Rasmussen, Chuck Bearce, and Anna Greene. We are all long-time Orem residents. Keith is a librarian who co-founded a company that automated thousands of libraries around the world. He went on to become a serial entrepreneur starting high tech businesses in a number of fields. Cissy has spent the last couple decades as a stay-at-home mom and school volunteer, leading school community councils at multiple schools and serving as a PTA advocacy leader. She currently works as a program coordinator at a local university. Chuck is a former Boy Scout leader serving locally and at the district level. He is also a retired junior high and high school principal. Anna is a mother, former teacher, and currently works and volunteers with nonprofit organizations.

Previously, Stronger Together has also benefited from the guidance of Aerwyn Whitlock, Michele Sorensen, JoDee Sundberg, Gary Seastrand, Mark Seastrand, Annya Becerra, Val Hale, and others. We hold ourselves and each other to high standards of ethics, civility, and hard work. We believe our variety of experiences and viewpoints helps us understand Orem issues and residents in a special way.

Since we organized in 2022, a small but very vocal and well-funded group has sought to discredit our members and organization. Lately, these detractors are accusing Stronger Together of improper behavior – purporting, with zero evidence, that Stronger Together is using money from unidentified sources (‘dark money’) to adversely influence our community. This is patently false.

Additionally, a recent letter to the Daily Herald bordered on libel when it claimed we (and the candidates we support) are backed and funded by the Democratic Party. This too is completely untrue! Stronger Together is a deliberately nonpartisan organization and we are not connected with any party at all. Our group members come from many political parties or none, and we strive to rise above political divisions by completely ignoring who voted for whom in a presidential or other election. Instead, we focus on finding common ground on local issues which in reality are nonpartisan. Most of our group and a majority of Orem residents agree on the many important issues, and more importantly, finding solutions with respect and civility.

Why all the accusations? Because they come during election season, we believe these are blatant attempts to discredit the candidates we support: Karen McCandless, Quinn Mecham, Doyle Mortimer and Angela Moulton. Perhaps our candidates are of such high calibre that some believe they can only be defeated by casting doubt on their supporters.

It is unfortunate that these groups and individuals choose to engage in campaigns of deception. This is not new – we’ve seen it all before. What does it say about the integrity of individuals who spread misleading information? What does it say about how they view the citizens of Orem when they try to mislead them? This is not just an attack on Stronger Together, it is an attack on Orem. Deliberate deceit erodes the fabric of respect and trust in our community.

We believe that Orem deserves better than divisive rhetoric and smear campaigns. We have found great success and strong bonds as we’ve brought people together to work and vote for better cities and schools. So if you’re losing faith in community or you worry that there is too much polarization, please know that there is a special group of hundreds, even thousands, of Orem residents who are trying hard to rise above the fray and make a real difference right here at home.

Stronger Together

Keith Wilson

Cissy Rasmussen

Chuck Bearce

Anna Greene

For more information, go to https://www.strongerorem.org.