Park City mayoral candidate Jack Rubin and I are both proud alumni of the University of Virginia. Yet I urge you to vote for his challenger, current Park City Council member Ryan Dickey.
At a recent neighborhood gathering, Rubin wore a UVA hat, so I introduced myself as a fellow alum. He told me he’s involved in an unofficial alumni group called the Jefferson Council, which aims to shift UVA away from what it sees as being too “left.” He encouraged me to check it out.
When I asked if he’d seen that day’s news — that Trump’s Justice Department pressured UVA President Jim Ryan to resign or it would withhold hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding — Rubin said proudly that his Jefferson Council was behind it. Why? Because they felt President Ryan hadn’t eliminated all DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) programs.
Yet under Jim Ryan’s leadership, UVA has thrived: raising $6 billion in a capital campaign, increasing undergraduate applications by 60%, and winning 35 national championships. Despite these successes, Rubin and the Jefferson Council pushed to oust a beloved, effective leader — simply because they oppose anything that might appear to support DEI.
If you believe the federal government should interfere in how state universities operate — and think eliminating DEI is our nation’s top priority — then Rubin may be your candidate. But remember, he has no record of public service in Park City and previously ran unsuccessfully, as a Republican, for the Utah State Senate in 2018.
Ryan Dickey, on the other hand, has a proven local record: four years on the Park City Council, former chair and five-year member of the Snyderville Basin Planning Commission, current board member of the Snyderville Basin Water Reclamation District, and past president of the Park City Rotary. He listens, collaborates, and builds consensus.
This election isn’t just about qualifications — it’s about values. One candidate aligns with a group that proudly worked with the Trump administration to remove a successful university president over DEI. The other has served Park City with humility and focus.
Park City deserves a mayor who brings people together, not someone who supports divisive national agendas. I urge you to vote for Ryan Dickey.
Callaway Zuccarello
Park City