When I was a preteen, it was the first time I saw a U.S. president as a candidate or incumbent.

I then lived in Owosso, Michigan. A locomotive rolled into the railway station with presidential candidate Sen. John F. Kennedy. He spoke from the rear passenger car’s platform. As the train travelled past me, it felt like I was moving, not the train.

On Labor Day weekend in the mid-1960s, my lifelong friend, Charlie Lake, and I drove to Detroit, Michigan. There, we saw Lyndon B. Johnson address thousands at Grand Circus Park. Indeed, he had a full-fledged Texas accent.

In the 1970s, I was in the U.S. Navy stationed at the Pentagon. I served on the secretary of the Navy’s public affairs staff. In an era before widely used fax machines and any emailing, I periodically needed to travel to the White House, picking up or dropping off press releases and classified materials. That is when I saw Richard M. Nixon enter and depart in the presidential limousine.

Later, after Nixon’s resignation, Gerald R. Ford arrived at the Pentagon for a debriefing with defense secretary Melvin Laird. He arrived at the building’s mall entrance, where a wide concrete stairway was lined with various military members holding ceremonial flags. As he ascended the steps, each flag was dipped. It was an Army representative who dipped his flag right into the president’s face. I tend to think this solider was redeployed to Greenland.

In 2006, I was CEO of a Midwest organization that served people who were blind and visually impaired. I was in Washington, D.C., lobbying to maintain the Javits, Wagner, O’Day Act, which helps that audience find meaningful employment. One of the individuals we met was then-Sen. Barrack Obama.

Those individuals and others, in between or thereafter, are viewed as leaders of the free world.

With the upcoming presidential and other important elections soon upon America, I would like to offer a few attributes in selecting quality and accountable leaders.

The candidate should:

∫ be well-versed in the elected position’s responsibility,

∫ understand the Constitution and applicable laws for which the position is accountable,

∫ be accessible to varied audiences,

∫ understand that desired results, in many instances, require inspiring and reaching out to many levels to accomplish goals,

∫ fully grasp the separation of powers between the branches and departments of government with which he or she interacts,

∫ be an honest and accountable leader — tell the truth,

∫ when possible, explain the challenge(s) and how he or she will address those challenges, and what results he or she desires,

∫ avoid being self-serving and grasp that he or she is serving constituents, not themselves,

∫ exhibit compassion, integrity, and humility, as well as transparency,

∫ not degrade others,

∫ be objective and a good listener, as well as a good negotiator, and

∫ have personal core values to which he or she adheres.

Be sure to cast your ballot for the Nov. 3 election.

Jeffrey D. Brasie is a retired health care CEO and frequently writes historic feature storied and op-eds. He is a former Alpena County resident and resides in suburban Detroit.