Democratic Primary Candidate Interview Series – Final Episode Before May 6 - Look for our recap post with links to all previous interviews on Monday.
In the final installment of our primary interview series, we sat down with Samer Bazerbashi, a Hilliard resident and early team member at local tech firm T-Cetra, who’s now seeking a seat on Hilliard City Council.
Raised in Gahanna and educated at Ohio State, Bazerbashi built his career in finance and technology—including time spent at JPMorgan Chase, then helping grow T-Cetra from a 4-person startup to a 200-employee firm serving wireless retailers nationwide. He’s not a company owner, but as “employee number four” he’s played an executive-level role for years, shaping infrastructure and scaling operations. He says that experience taught him not just business acumen but the importance of world-class service, connecting under pressure, and learning lasting lessons from complaints.
Now, with his kids a little older and family support in place, Samer says he’s ready to give back—and was moved to run out of an effort to meet public voices and concerns with a commitment to service.
On Growth and Development:
Bazerbashi says he supports growth in many forms—but wants to define Hilliard’s “why”—its core identity—as part of that drive for more development. He says he recognizes the tensions between suburban charm, rural memories, and economic expansion. “What is our character, and how do we invite people to be part of it?”
He stated he’s open to attracting a range of businesses—but emphasized environmentally responsible, high-skill sectors and green technology. He cited positively the work of the present administration in creating an environment that’s easy to do business in—especially for firms that can provide high-tech jobs and local career pipelines.
On Engagement:
Asked how he would build trust in government he replied that a major part of his platform is in improving how council listens and responds. Drawing from his own business experience, Bazerbashi suggests an “omni-channel” model of developing civic engagement: town halls, surveys, HOA meetings, social media, calls, and texts. “People need a venue to vent,” he says, “and if you can’t handle that—maybe this isn’t the job for you.”
He especially wants to create ways for busy parents—like himself—to plug into city decisions, acknowledging that most people aren’t disengaged by choice, but by time and circumstance.
On Coalitions and Governance:
If elected, Bazerbashi says his first steps would be building positive relationships across the government. He says he’s already sat down with every council member, regardless of political alignment. His approach: seek methods where disagreements don’t derail collaboration and adds, “We need to have foundational respect, even if we vote differently.”
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