Retiring Overland Park city councilmember Dave White has announced he is endorsing Tom Carignan, managing director and vice president at EFL Associates, an executive search firm, for his Ward 3 seat.

“Tom has been actively engaged in the community and has a good business track record,” White said. “He cares deeply about Overland Park and brings new perspectives with him
that will serve the city well in the years to come.”

White said he planned to make an endorsement in the race for his seat when he announced his decision not to seek a new term in January. White reportedly considered a number of possible candidates before deciding to give Carignan his support. Carignan is the only candidate registered to run for the seat with the Johnson County Election Office at this point.

He said he was honored by White’s endorsement.

“Overland Park has been my family’s home of choice for over a decade and I look forward to taking my community involvement to another level by serving the residents of Ward 3 and Overland Park,” Carignan said.

A native of Hutchinson and graduate of the University of Kansas, Carignan, who holds an MBA from Rockhurst, has lived in Overland Park for the past 11 years. He’s been involved in a number of civic and business organizations in recent years, including serving on the boards of the Health Forward Foundation, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Greater Kansas City and Prospainca.

Carignan also participated in Leadership Kansas and the Johnson County Sheriff’s Citizens Academy.

Ward 3, which hugs I-435, recently had its boundaries redrawn to account for shifting populations in Overland Park.