“Rebuilding our economy and job creation are the prevailing social issues of the day.” I’m Byron DeLear, and I’m running for Missouri State Representative, 79th District. I’m running because in talking to my neighbors in the Maryland Heights and surrounding St. Louis County areas, there’s a need for real representation and leadership. I’m proud of my long history of finding practical solutions through hard work and compromise in a variety of settings, and am working for the honor of doing that in Jefferson City for the 79th.
I believe that rebuilding our economy and job creation are the prevailing social issues of the day. That’s why I need your help to The Democratic nomination on Primary Election Day, August 3rd, 2010. There are 163 Seats in the Missouri House of Representatives and the 79th is a Democratic seat, including Maryland Heights and surrounding areas in St. Louis County. Meet Byron Byron’s experience in the private sector includes a far-reaching range of corporate settings including the entrepreneurial aspects of being an independent contractor, a department head of a small business, vice president of a startup company, and working for 20th Century Fox/Newscorp, a large multi-national corporation. The sum of these work experiences has provided him an informed perspective into the political needs of our American economy, the workers it supports, and the challenges of globalization. His business experience is now being put to work putting Missouri back to work. As a founding incorporator of the Missouri Association of Accredited Energy Professionals (MAAEP), he has thrown his weight behind promoting the job creating and environmentally friendly Energy Efficiency industry.

Any economic recovery that we’ve had so far has been accused of being “jobless.” So initiatives that create new employment opportunities should be our number one focus in getting our economy back on track – and many “Green Collar” jobs can’t be outsourced because they happen right here at home. Clean, green and renewable energy is an emerging industry that provides positive outcomes including economic, infrastructure, and environmental benefits. Take energy efficiency for example: 95% of all existing homes and construction can be audited, assessed, and fixed to a higher standard of efficiency. This saves folks on energy costs, creates new jobs, and avoids the construction of additional power plants. Buildings in the U.S. account for nearly 40% of carbon emissions, and taking steps toward reducing inefficiency will make Missouri more energy independent, cleaner, and our economy more sustainable.

I believe that Missouri is positioned to be a leader in the clean energy industry, and it is imperative for our state legislators to capitalize and take part in this historic shift.

The prospect of putting Missourians back to work into good-paying jobs through the transformation of the Midwest into a Green Belt is part of Byron’s plan for a rebuilt and stronger economy. With the support of state initiatives through public and private partnership, we can revitalize St. Louis County and Missouri's economy through Clean Technology, Energy Efficiency, and Green Jobs.

Sustainability is not just some buzzword for environmentalism; it is the economic reality of good asset management.

A strong economy not only involves business growth, opportunities and entrepreneurial investment, but it also means good quality Missouri jobs for lower and middle income wage earners -- balance and diversification are key.

My granddad Walter was a charter member of the stagehands union and instilled in our family the value of working together. His motto? “Always use the right tool for the right job.” He made every hammer, saw, and chisel with his own hands. His values and work ethic have been a lifelong inspiration for me.

Having been a writing and publishing member of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) for nearly two decades, I have seen how collective bargaining, organizing and legislative advocacy have provided opportunities to our members that would have never been possible without sticking together. Today, many people express frustration with Union bureaucracy; but the reality is that organized labor provides critical and unsung positive influences on the entire marketplace in keeping management honest for Union and non-Union members alike. When pushing for good jobs and workplace rights in an era of decreasing wages, benefits and rampant outsourcing, organized labor is the “right tool for the right job.”

Byron supports worker’s rights to organize and collectively bargain as a fundamental quality of a healthy and balanced economy.


Both Byron’s parents were teachers at The Principia Upper School, located in West St. Louis County, and so he grew up with a deep-seated understanding of the importance of education. He knows the power of a good education, the opportunities it provides, and that it is the principal foundation upon which any lasting success is built.

Byron’s initial experience in public service was over fifteen years ago in co-creating a curriculum for at-risk youth in an inner-city school. He collaborated with educator T.H. Culhane composing the “Eutopia Curriculum” for a Los Angeles Charter School. Based on an “edu-tainment platform,” this innovative program explored aspects of civilization’s origins and lasting links to tribalism.

The first time I saw one of our students create media and then listen back to what he'd created, it was really exciting. A smile flashed on that boy's face as connections were made. Being witness to the learning process through media authorship was truly inspirational. It was then I started to appreciate the transformative and uplifting power of education; we, as a national family, should always fund education as a first priority.

Byron currently sits on Parkway School District’s “Project Parkway Subcommittee on Differentiation and Depth of Knowledge.” Project Parkway is a district-wide evaluation program designed to help set the future direction of Parkway schools. He supports expanded pre-kindergarten services, making higher education affordable, increasing AP classes, and incentives like tax credits to encourage the retention of good teachers in public education.

No other issue can bless future generations with the power that critical thinking brings like providing a rich and productive education for our children.

After high school, Byron attended Berklee College of Music in Boston and moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career as a media producer in the entertainment industry. At 25, he toured 14 States in a Cherry Red 1950 Chevy Biscayne Deluxe visiting 60 radio stations while promoting “Waiting for a Love,” an RCA Records single Byron co-wrote, co-produced, and sang peaking as a Top 30 Adult Contemporary single.

For twenty years, Byron has produced, written and performed on many major record labels and has worked in television and film production for 20th Century Fox and Passport International Entertainment producing material for PBS, Fox, “The Late Show with David Letterman,” and National Geographic Channel.

He has been a record producer with artists as broad as Miami Sound Machine to Warren Hill. His credits include dance remixing Billboard Hits and mixing a charting KISS concert DVD. He has collaborated with many notable artists including Mick Taylor of the Rolling Stones, Grover Washington Jr., and singer-songwriter Meredith Brooks.

As an entertainment executive, Byron has expert working knowledge in crafting publishing deals, copyright law, and in framing and negotiating contracts. In 1999, he designed and equipped a state-of-the-art digital audio production facility while serving as the department head of the audio division at Passport International Entertainment. The first project produced in that facility was the 10-Hour miniseries, “The Remarkable 20th Century” hosted by the venerable broadcaster Howard K. Smith seen on PBS and distributed in multiple markets around the world.


DeLear has synthesized his experiences in education, media and politics in his proposed HELPME Act legislation (Healthy Education and Learning through a Positive Media Environment). It’s an innovative approach to help encourage education reform outside of the classroom through incentives for media outlets to carry more socially and educationally responsible programming.

In Hollywood, I saw firsthand how social and cultural standards were degrading over time and I never heard any conversations about how to reverse these downward trends. Nobody would dispute the fact that a large segment of television and entertainment programming has become more sensationalistic and shallow. Cable and TV shows, including the nightly news, have been watered down to the lowest common denominator promoting questionable values through excessive violence, sexuality, and moral ambiguity.

Simply put, many American families feel under siege by the values coming out of Hollywood. Parents can sympathize with the anxiety felt in not knowing or having control over what their children are exposed to. It's time to turn these trends around and send the message that positive and socially responsible programming is good for young minds. And this can be accomplished through profitable mechanisms that reward responsible media.

Byron has begun building the HELPME Act legislation by collaborating with parents, media professionals, and business executives in exploring solutions to an issue that’s gone unaddressed for far too long. HELPME is not based on censorship, but modeled on incentives for media venues to carry more educationally responsible programs. He is optimistic about the potential.

If through legislation we can have even a slight positive impact on the educational environment occurring outside of the classroom, we will have enhanced our children's total educational experience and improved their upbringing.

After working for twenty years as a media producer, the events of 9/11 inspired a profound change in Byron’s life focus.

On the morning of September 11th I remember hearing an announcer on AM talk radio say that the second plane had struck the World Trade Center. As unbelievable and surreal as that was, somehow I knew -- we all knew -- that our world was forever changed. In the weeks and months following the attack, I recalled a phrase my father used to say to me as a little boy: “Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country.” I decided to devote my time and energy towards making a lasting difference in the world.

In 2003, he left his successful career in the entertainment industry and co-founded the non-profit organization Global Peace Solution (GPS), a non-governmental organization (NGO) concerned with fostering peace through conflict resolution and promoting pluralism. With co-founder Ofer Lifschitz, Byron was a directing member of a delegation to the Middle East, meeting with high level leaders representing both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Anyone who travels to Israel to the Old City of Jerusalem, cannot help but be moved by the breadth of history located at the crossroads of many world faith traditions. In our trip of 2009, fiancée Rebecca and I prayed at the Western Wall for peace, prosperity, and healing to those suffering in the world. We were fortunate to work with several progressive political projects promoting diversity and dialog in the region.

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict in many ways represents the nexus of the interreligious and cultural struggles that currently face the broader Middle East and America. Having a background of working directly with international NGOs has shown Byron firsthand the unique characteristics and individual needs of different communities and cultures. St. Louis’ own Festival of Nations embodies this spirit of unity-through-diversity as our community's leading multicultural celebration and connects us to the world becoming a smaller place every day.

Missouri and America are a study in unity-through-diversity. What unites us is beyond race, class or creed – it’s the common understanding that we are simply human beings before all other labels. This unifying motif is woven through the entire fabric of our Nation’s founding principles. It has been - and still is - America’s finest export.

Byron DeLear has deep family roots in the Midwest and Missouri. His grandfather, Walter DeLear Sr., and great-grandfather, James Lear, were both born in Knox County, Missouri and Byron’s grandmother, Letha Wynkoop Cole, was born in Eudora in Polk County along with twelve brothers and sisters. Byron’s late mother, Wilma Ruth Cole DeLear, was born in Kansas City, Missouri, and raised in Norman, Oklahoma. The DeLear family has always held the Midwestern values of hard work, faith, and determination close to their hearts.

Byron was raised in Town and Country, Missouri. He attended Middle and Upper School at The Principia, where he excelled in athletics, being an All-ABC League Football player his Junior year (’83) and made the St. Louis First All-Metro Team his Senior year (’84). Byron’s dad, Walter, is known for his big booming operatic voice which he would put into practice at his son’s football games. Whenever Principia was on defense, he would bellow out, “Big D, Prin!” for “Big Defense.” Everyone became so accustomed to Walter’s “Big D!” but thought he was cheering on his son, Byron, as in “Big DeLear.” Well, the name stuck and to this day friends still call Byron “Big D” – of course, now, Big D also means “Big Democrat!”

Rebecca and I live with our longhair cat Custer, which we adopted from the Maryland Heights Humane Society. Our home looks out over beautiful Creve Coeur Lake Park and during the spring and summer months we enjoy bike riding around the lake. The Missouri River borders our district. Its rich ecosystem is nothing less than a national treasure. We are near the mouth of the Missouri at its confluence with the Mississippi, the nation's largest river system. It’s vital for us as a community to protect and preserve the beauty of Missouri’s natural resources for future generations. As we build a new economy for our state and revitalize our current economic environment, we must pursue strategies that show respect for our natural environment.

I am happy and honored to have the opportunity to serve and work with you all, and hope to make a lasting contribution to better our community and state.

Sincerely, and in your service,

Byron DeLear.

Byron is a proud member of the Missouri Democratic Party, St. Louis West County Democrats, Progressive Democrats of America, Women’s Democratic Forum and the Maryland Heights Township Democratic Club. He authors a national column as “Progressive Examiner” on examiner.com, the fastest growing online news website ranked #66 in the world. He also is a featured guest writer on the Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) website and blog. He currently serves on: Project Parkway’s Subcommittee on Differentiation and Depth of Knowledge, Executive Board of the Missouri Association of Accredited Energy Professionals (MAAEP), Founders Board of Friends of Article V Convention (FOAVC), and is a 19-year writing and publishing member of the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP).

Byron also blogs on progressive and Democratic sites such as Missouri's Show Me Progress, Polizeros, Mepeace, and Daily Kos.

Byron has trained in nonviolence tactics with civil rights leader Rev. James Lawson and conflict resolution with nonviolent communication expert Marshall Rosenberg. He was an observer at the 12th General Assembly of the Asia Pacific Parliamentarians Conference on Environment and Development (APPCED) held on April 18, 2006 in British Columbia, Canada. He has also been a member of the American Friends Service Committee’s (AFSC) Middle East Peace Education subcommittee; Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR) Nuclear Nonproliferation and Disarmament Committee; co-founder of Missouri Association of Accredited Energy Professionals (MAAEP); North American representative for MIFKAD or People’s Voice (Ayalon/Nusseibeh Initiative); International Forum for Literature and Culture Board Member (IFLAC); co-founder of the Friends of the Article V Convention (FOAVC); World Board Member of the Unity-and-Diversity Council (UDC); Foreign Policy Consultant for the Israeli Political Party Brit Olam; and co-founder of Global Peace Solution (GPS). He is a visiting lecturer at California State University, Northridge; Loyola Marymount University; University of Southern California (USC); and Watershed University.