Kimmswick Mayor Philip Stang on Living in and Managing the Historic Mississippi River Town

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What are the challenges involved with managing a small rivertown? And how does a dyed-in-the-wool Northeasterner and international business consultant end up living in a small town on the Mississippi River in the middle of America? That’s the path Philip Stang has followed to Kimmswick, Missouri, where he has served multiple terms as Mayor. In this wide-ranging interview, we pull the curtain back for a look at what it takes to manage the historic community. We talk about his old career as a corporate consultant, his current life as an artist, and his entry into local politics. We discuss challenges that include fighting floods that are increasingly threatening and looking for ways to diversify the small town’s revenues. And we do it all with plenty of laughs along the way. In the Mississippi Minute, I offer a few tips for visiting Kimmswick, including what to expect when you visit for one of the city’s two big festivals.