The following information is lengthy, but you can get a real good idea of who I am and what I am about as a public servant in Ridgeland by reading it and that is the goal of this section of our website.

First elected as Ward Five Alderman in 1997, I am in my third term and enjoying it more than ever. The tremendous growth we have experienced over the last nine years is only the beginning of what is to come. I am a 1976 graduate of Mississippi State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. I view my service as an alderman as a fulfillment of the path I began in college. I have spent most of my working life as a self-employed structural steel draftsman. I have been a Ridgeland resident since 1977.

I have been married to Rhonda for over 30 years. God blessed us with three children. Our oldest son, Josh, was killed at age 18 in a car accident in 1996 while a freshman at Delta State University. We also have a son, David, and a daughter, Laura, 22, who are in college currently.

I wear a lot of hats and I see all the activities I am and have been involved in as useful and important. I have been involved in numerous civic activities over the years, including Exchange Club, Olde Towne Middle School PTA Board and Choir Booster Club President, and I worked concessions at Madison Central as a part of the Band Boosters when my son David played drums there.

I am an ordained deacon and a longtime member of Broadmoor Baptist Church and have been a Sunday School teacher for most of my time there. I am also a member of the adult choir and sing in a choral ensemble and also sing solos from time to time. I have gone on a number of short-term mission trips over the years to other U.S. cities and look forward to God allowing me to go overseas in the years to come to spread the good news about Jesus.

Drama is an important part of my life and I have been in several productions of The Center Players over the last several years and have enjoyed the many new friends I have made through that pursuit. I have also long been involved in the drama ministry of my church, which led me about four years ago to become involved with a unique drama group in the metro area called Mayberry Ministries. This group started at a metro area Baptist church as a dinner theater presentation in support of mission activities of that church, but it has since expanded to performances all over the state of Mississippi and several cities in Arkansas. We have performed as many as 19 shows in a calendar year and are often booked a year in advance. Our group pays its own expenses so that the monies raised through the dinner and show proceeds can be used in mission efforts of the hosting church or ministry. The plays, which change every year, present many popular scenes of the old Andy Griffith TV series woven together with a Christian theme and are good clean entertainment for the whole family. I portray Otis Campbell, and want to emphasize that this is not typecasting. I have greatly enjoyed my involvement with the cast and support crew and, like all of them, am willing to go where God leads us in this ministry. Come and see our show sometime.

I decided to seek re-election in 2005 because I want to complete what I feel is unfinished business. We are in the midst of a number of policy and planning issues, which will have a long-lasting and far-reaching impact on Ridgeland.

I believe the biggest issue is protection and it has several facets. One is protection of property values through proactive policies, rather than reactive ones, which help keep commercial and residential properties in good condition and combat urban blight. In my almost 36 years living in the Jackson metro area, I have been shocked and saddened by the decline and ruin of so many areas of our capital city. I refuse to stand by and let it happen in Ridgeland without a fight. Another is protection of lifestyle values. Our citizens expect facilities and services and a comfortable environment that meets their needs for recreation, personal safety, and convenience.

Transportation seems to be the problem that most people immediately mention when asked, in Madison, as well as Ridgeland. In addition to the thousands of cars that pass through Ridgeland each day, it is estimated that the daytime population in Ridgeland is between 50,000 and 60,000. While much has been accomplished in the last nine years that I have been an alderman, as well as the millions of dollars of work that is currently under construction, there remains much to do. Lake Harbour Drive is a top priority for widening between Northpark Drive and Highway 51 and extension over I-55 to Highland Colony Parkway. In addition to that, the capacity of Pear Orchard needs to be increased. The new Ridgeland-Madison interchange on I-55 is also a high-priority project that I want to see completed. I believe it will have a big impact, especially in conjunction with other projects that are currently being done, such as the Highway 51 widening project. As traffic flows through that interchange, it should relieve pressure on the existing Ridgeland and Madison exits.

Although Ridgeland has grown tremendously in the last twenty-five years, it is over one hundred years old as a city and while there is a lot of new and proposed construction in Ridgeland, there are a number of aging structures, which are showing a lot of wear and tear. I am very interested in finding workable policies to fix up and clean up in areas where such structures are found or allow and encourage quality redevelopment to occur. Again, I do not want to see any of Ridgeland go the way of many areas in Jackson, but without the cooperation of the public and private sectors to intentionally deal with this issue, it inevitably will.

I believe Ridgeland’s greatest attribute is our citizens and ultimately, it is they who will determine the fate of Ridgeland. They understand the challenges before us, and the demands those challenges place on them and their city government. I believe our other great attribute is in the area of protection, which I alluded to earlier. We are addressing the property value issues on several fronts at this time and I believe will make great progress in this area in the next few years. In the area of protecting lifestyle values, there are several things I can mention. One is our award-winning Recreation and Parks Department, which does a superior job of managing our top quality facilities and also provides numerous forms of recreational opportunities to all our citizens, from preschoolers to senior citizens.

Another is our outstanding Police and Fire Departments, which provide for the personal safety of our citizens and guests. I am amazed at the number of crimes solved and criminals caught through the dedicated efforts and attention of our police. Fire loss in the city is minimal each year and is a combination of great response times, superior training, and a constant fire safety inspection program.

Our Public Works Department does an outstanding job in a number of areas providing for safety, comfort, and convenience for us all. An ongoing paving program assesses and prioritizes our streets for repaving. Clean water through a reliable delivery system is easily taken for granted, but is so vital to all of us and is provided in a consistently excellent manner. So is proper drainage throughout the city and they are constantly improving drainage in problem areas as well as assuring that new construction drains properly. They also do an excellent job in planning for future infrastructure needs in Ridgeland.

The Community Development Department also provides superior service through our Geographic Information System, which enhances our planning and development efforts as a city. They also provide protection through our program of building inspections, assuring citizens of safe, quality construction in residential and commercial buildings. They also are in charge of property maintenance inspections, which serve to keep property values consistently higher than areas where it is not a high priority. This department also is intimately involved in economic development and redevelopment issues, as well as an upcoming citywide master-planning project.

Our award-winning Finance and Administration Department also provides protection as they diligently oversee the receipt and disbursement of our tax dollars in an organized and responsible manner. They also provide invaluable guidance to the Mayor and Board of Aldermen as to the financial resources available to meet current and future needs of the City. I anticipate continued progress in all these areas because of the quality of the individuals leading our departments.

I want to close by doing a little dream casting for the next ten years in Ridgeland. In ten years I see a Ridgeland that has addressed almost all of the most pressing transportation needs that exist today. There are multiple east-west and north-south corridors that carry people easily and efficiently through the city. I see a number of new developments that continue the trend of blending residential, office, and retail establishments together in aesthetically pleasing environments that encourage walking and personal interaction among the varied neighbors. I see a new City Hall complex, which includes a new library, community meeting rooms, and a performing arts complex to accommodate recreational and cultural programs for our citizens. I see citizens that have a greater sense of community and are more engaged in the work of maintaining a strong vibrant city.

As you can see, there is and will be a lot going on in Ridgeland and I invite you to get involved as well. You can make a difference in your city, for today and tomorrow.