A generation away from one grandfather who was a farmer and another who was a cross-country truck driver, John understands hard work. It’s in his blood. John will bring that work ethic to City Council to fight for neighborhoods, better growth decisions and good jobs.
As the son of two educators, John was taught early in life the importance of giving back. It’s an integral part of who John is. In fact, he and his wife, Sunnie, spend most of their time giving back by working to improve their neighborhood. He will take that same approach on City Council.
John and Sunnie have one child, who is almost two years old, and are welcoming their second child this late Spring! John and Sunnie are active members and volunteers at Buncombe Street United Methodist Church, and among other community volunteer roles, they are very involved in their neighborhood—Sunnie as a Board member for the Colonel Elias Earle Historic District Association and John as the Immediate Past President of the North Main Community Association.
Professionally, John and Sunnie are small business owners. One of those businesses is an advocacy firm, where they fight for good jobs and small businesses every day. John will take those skills and put them to work for neighborhoods and better growth.
John’s Community Involvement:
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- Buncombe Street United Methodist Church Council
- North Main Community Association President
- Greenville Transit Authority Vice Chairman
- Urban League Board Member
- Adjunct Professor at Southern Wesleyan University
- Delegate, United Methodist Church Annual Conference
- Upstate Chamber Coalition Advisory Board
- Leadership Greenville Graduate
- Clemson Young Alumni National President
- SC Leukemia Lymphoma Society Man of the Year Runner-Up
- Governor Sanford MAP Commission Member
- Recognized twice as Greenville Magazine’s “50 Most Influential People”
John’s Qualifications:
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- Hard Work: John will bring a high-energy approach to serving our neighbors. On our behalf, he will roll up his sleeves and dive into complex and difficult issues to find the best solutions for our community.
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- Neighborhoods: As former two-year president of the North Main Community Association and active advocate for neighborhoods, John has fought against commercial creep, traffic, speeding cars, and crime. As a member on Council, John will be a tireless advocate for neighborhoods.
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- The Economy: John has a 20-year career as an advocate who has fought for good jobs and small businesses. He understands how to grow the economy. On Council, he will support locally-owned small businesses, promote innovation and entrepreneurship, and will provide our economic developers the tools to recruit good jobs to Greenville.
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- Reformer: John does not shy away from fighting for what is right. Whether on Greenville Transit Authority, as a neighborhood president or against bad ideas, John will fight for a better Greenville.