Six candidates are vying for your vote on November 3rd, 2015 to be the next City of Charleston Mayor.
Ginny Deerin, William Dudley Gregorie, Toby Smith, Leon Stavrinakis, John Tecklenburg and Maurice Washington are running to replace Charleston’s mayor of 40 years, Mayor Joseph P. Riley, Jr.
Learn more about the Charleston Mayoral candidates here:
(All information is from each candidate’s campaign website)
Ginny Deerin, a small businesswoman and community leader who also ran Mayor Joe Riley’s last campaign, announced her candidacy for Mayor of Charleston today in an email to supporters. If elected, Ginny would become the first female mayor in Charleston’s history.
“I’ve run a multi-million dollar non-profit organization and been a small business owner. I worked with Mayor Joe Riley, led community efforts in Charleston, and I’m a mother and grandmother,” Deerin said. “All of this has prepared me to take the reins at this pivotal point in Charleston’s history and to help make Charleston an even greater city.”
Working with Mayor Riley and as a leader in her own right, Ginny has rolled up her sleeves to strengthen our city. She fought to create new opportunities by helping win approval for Charleston Place, which spurred economic development in our city. After Hurricane Hugo hit, she was a leader in the citizen response operation—recruiting volunteers and ensuring that housebound citizens received provisions and debris was cleared.
Ginny founded and ran WINGS for Kids, which she started in Charleston and has grown to 10 programs in 3 states. It was so successful, it was brought into public schools as an afterschool program. Under Ginny’s leadership WINGS was recognized as one of the best-managed organizations in South Carolina. WINGS has served over 2,000 children in Charleston.
Ginny’s run a multi-million dollar non-profit organization and been a small business owner. She worked with Mayor Joe Riley, led community efforts in Charleston, and she’s a mother and grandmother. All of this has prepared her for her next role: Mayor.
Working with Mayor Riley and as a leader in her own right, Ginny has rolled up her sleeves to strengthen our city. No task is too small or too big to tackle when it comes to making Charleston greater.
Ginny fought to create new opportunities for small business owners and job seekers by helping win approval for Charleston Place, which spurred economic development in our city.
She went door-to-door on Johns Island to bring city water – expanding the city’s infrastructure and bringing clean water for local residents.
During the first few years of Spoleto, Ginny directed its newsroom and raised some of the initial dollars for the festival.
And when faced with a terrible crisis when Hurricane Hugo hit, Ginny helped organize the citizen response operation. Ginny set up the response team on East Bay Street, recruiting volunteers and ensuring that housebound citizens received provisions and debris was cleared.
When Ginny sees a problem, she works on innovative ways to help solve it.
In 1996, Ginny founded and ran WINGS for Kids in Charleston to help elementary school children develop social and emotional skills. WINGS started as a summer program for kids – it was so successful that public schools brought WINGS in as an afterschool program.
WINGS has grown from one program in Charleston to 10 programs in 3 states. It became a multimillion-dollar operation with hundreds of employees and diverse revenue streams. There are more than 2,000 WINGS kids in Charleston alone. Under Ginny’s leadership, WINGS was recognized as one of the best-managed nonprofits in South Carolina.
Ginny is currently president of Lewis Walton, LLC, providing management, fundraising and leadership consulting services. She co-founded Project XX SC; a non-profit advocacy organization encouraging women to seek elected and appointed office. Ginny was a leader in fundraising for the Hollings Cancer Center at the Medical University of South Carolina and for the Coastal Community Foundation of South Carolina.
In 2010, Ginny was awarded the Order of the Palmetto – our state’s highest honor for public service. Ginny has also been named the non-profit Leader of the Year by Trident United Way and was awarded the Golden Apple Award from WCSC-TV for her advocacy on behalf of children.
Ginny has called the Charleston area home for nearly 40 years. Her mother, Lucy Lewis, grew up in Charleston attending Memminger Elementary School and Ashley Hall. Ginny graduated from the University of South Carolina and built her life here.
She first became involved in city politics working on Joe Riley’s first mayoral race forty years ago. In 2011, she served as his campaign manager in his final election.
Ginny lives in West Ashley, is a member of the LGBT community and has two adult children, a daughter-in-law, and two grandsons.
Born and reared on peninsula Charleston, William Dudley Gregorie is truly a native son of the “Holy City.” After graduating from Burke High School in 1967, Dudley left his beloved Charleston to attend Benedict College.
In the years that followed, he earned a B.S. and M.A. from Benedict College and Howard University respectively and pursued post-graduate studies at Catholic University and the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Two decades later, Dudley returned to the Palmetto State as the highest-ranking official with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in South Carolina.
As HUD’S South Carolina Director, Dudley made history. During his eight-year stewardship, the federal agency’s assets topped $2 billion with expenditures rising from $660 million to more than $1.4 billion to support critically needed services in communities across the state.
Dudley’s hometown also benefited from his leadership of the HUD’s field office in Columbia. The City of Charleston received $12 million in tax credits for job creation and the Medical University of South Carolina received a $400 million mortgage through the Federal Housing Administration to construct Ashley River Tower, creating thousands of local jobs and a state-of-the-art health care facility.
After ending a 32 year career with HUD, Dudley turned to politics in 2007 as an independent mayoral candidate in his beloved Charleston. Although his first campaign was not successful, many of the ideas and issues he raised during his campaign have been implemented.
In January 2009, true to his tenacious nature, Dudley continued his quest to serve and entered the race for the vacated District 6 City Council seat, and won. As District 6 Representative, Councilman Gregorie immediately began making history, utilizing his experience and fiscal knowledge. District 6 is currently one of a few districts experiencing significant sustainable urban development. This is evident through the surge in projects to build and improve hotels, drainage, recreation, housing, livability, transportation, public safety and economic development.
The largest of these projects is the $1 billion Horizon Foundation development on the western edge of the peninsula. It will create a knowledge-based economy, creating jobs, economic development and market-rate and affordable housing units.
Councilman Gregorie was sworn in on February 17, 2009. A few months later, in the November 2009 general election, Councilman Gregorie ran unopposed. In January 2010, Councilman Gregorie was sworn in for his first 4-year term, representing West Ashley and downtown neighborhoods. Councilman Gregorie took on a tough agenda, introducing legislation regarding transparency in government (televised city council meetings), amendments to the city’s Fair Housing Law (strengthen local enforcement powers) size and frequency of cruise ships (livability and preservation), shore power (livability and environmental), and the Medical Mile (created a smoke-free zone around the MUSC main campus).
Councilman Gregorie also fought for the funding of Lenavar Park, Higgins Pier, Harmon Ball Field, Ferguson Village, Jack Adams Tennis Courts and a revenue increase aimed at increasing the safety of our children. Additionally, Councilman Gregorie has worked to foster increased women and minority business participation. These efforts yielded more than a 30% participation for women and minority businesses in the $142 million Charleston Gaillard Center, alone.
In 2011, endorsed by The City Paper for mayor, Councilman Gregorie launched his second mayoral bid. Though he did not win in his mayoral bid, Councilman Gregorie’s leadership abilities did not go unnoticed by Mayor Joseph P. Riely. In 2013, Mayor Riley nominated Councilman Gregorie for Mayor Pro Tem. Councilman Gregorie’s colleagues on City Council unanimously elected him to the position.
Councilman Gregorie was Acting Mayor while Mayor Riley recuperated from surgery. He conducted City Council meetings and signed bills into law.
With a proven background of successful leadership, integrity, and a willingness to serve the people, Councilman Gregorie is poised to write a new chapter in the political history of Charleston. With your help and that of your fellow citizens, this November Councilman Gregorie’s dream – ONE Charleston, A City That Works For Everyone – can become a reality.
Legislative
True to his call for more transparency of government, Councilman Gregorie introduced legislation that now provides Televised and Web Based City Council Meetings. As the only Councilman to introduce major legislation in over four years, he has also sponsored a number of resolutions including: a resolution to increase penalties for housing discrimination against families with children, the disabled and sexual orientation, a resolution for a Ten Year Plan to End Chronic Homelessness; an IPAD Ordinance to reduce the amount of paper waste in City hall; a resolution in support of Offshore Wind Energy Development to create approximately 20,000 jobs, and a Unity Day Resolution.
Committees
Gregorie currently serves as Chair of the License; Small Claims; and Sustainability Committees. He also presently serves on the Community Development, and Recreation Committees of council. In addition, he served on the selection committees for the architect of record, and construction manager for the Gilliard Center; and the contractor for the Horizon project, a proposed billion dollar mixed use development for District 6.
Boards
Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (Finance Committee); Horizon Foundation, (Voting member along with Mayor Riley); Low-country Housing and Economic Development Foundation; International African American Museum (IAAM); Trustee, Emanuel A.M.E. Church; Advisory Board; Intergovernmental Council (Town of James Island, City of Charleston, James Island PSD, Charleston County, and state legislative delegation; and Charleston Development Academy (CDA).
Toby Smith is a 1985 graduate of the University of South Carolina, where she received a BA in Government and International Studies. She began her professional career at the Central Intelligence Agency, where she served in US and overseas for eight years. In her final year at the Agency, Toby was selected to participate in the Women’s Executive Leadership Program, during which she planned the Agency’s first commemoration of the King Holiday. While in DC, she did graduate work at American University. She left the Agency and returned to Charleston, where she worked at the Charleston County School District and headed up the District’s first bond campaign. That experience resulted in a move to the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce, where she became the first Black director of the Public Affairs Group. For more than a decade Toby has been a consultant to nonprofit organizations and guided their efforts to obtain nonprofit status as well locate funding.
Radio broadcasting has been a big part of her life. In 1997 she began a radio ministry, “The Word Works,” at Charleston’s legendary station, WPAL. In 1999, she hosted the same program on Georgetown’s WLMC. Toby has co-hosted PM Urban Edition and The David Mack Show with State Representative David Mack and Tammy McCottry Brown. In March 2007, Toby returned to radio, joining the staff of WXTC (Heaven 1390) as the host of the weekly public affairs program, Heaven Talk.
In September 2007, she joined the staff of Family Services, Inc., a nonprofit organization headquartered in North Charleston where, as a credit and housing counselor, she taught financial literacy classes, first-time homebuyer and pre-and post bankruptcy classes throughout the state. After moving to Murrells Inlet to run the Conway office, Family Services authorized Toby to begin production of a 30-minute public affairs radio program, Money Works, on WMIR in Little River, SC. The first of its kind, the weekly program focused on budgeting, credit and debt management.
In December 2006, Toby became a licensed and ordained minister at Mt. Olive Baptist Church in North Charleston; Rev. Willis Glover, Sr., is the Pastor. Very active in church, she has worked with the Women’s and Youth ministries and taught Bible study and Sunday school for several years.
In 2009 she began writing for the Columbia-based IMARA Woman magazine and, over the next three years, covered the foreclosure crisis, financial literacy, and money management. In 2011, she married and moved to Greenville County, but returned home the following December. In May 2013, she accepted the position of Executive Director at Midland Park Community Ministries in North Charleston. Since 2002, MPCM has served thousands of residents at its food pantry and clothes closet. MPCM’s mission is to change lives and foster stability. It’s a terrific place that has seen much growth since Toby arrived. For example, in February MPCM expanded the service area to include all of Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester counties; the number of clients being fed every month has increased 25%.
In May 2015, Toby Smith became the first Black woman, candidate number seven, to run for Mayor of Charleston, SC. Her platform is reconciliation, revitalizing West Ashley, engaging the edge communities and working to complete the International African American Museum (tobysmithfomayor.com).
In her spare time Toby loves to write. She self-published her first book in 2006. “Goofy Things Girls Do to Get Guys, Part Encouragement, Part Good Laugh,” is a humorous examination of dating and relationships. Books two through 10 are still in manuscript form. In addition to enjoying her family, Toby loves Charleston, gospel, jazz and R&B music, traveling, politics, reading and studying the Scriptures, but—above all else—she loves the Lord.
Leon Stavrinakis will be a hands-on Mayor, focused on delivering the best city services – good roads, improved traffic, great schools and safe streets.
“I was born here. I love this City and I know that Charleston works best when we all work together. I have a vision of where to lead Charleston in the future, always making sure to keep our special city livable for all. My plan is practical and straightforward: Fix our streets. Tackle traffic. Improve the schools. Keep people safe. Keep taxes low. And demand excellence in everything we do. Because that’s what the people of Charleston deserve.”
Leon is the only candidate for Mayor with experience on the County Council and in the State Legislature of bringing people together to get results for Charleston.
A Hands-On Leadership Approach
As a husband, dad, and former prosecutor public safety is a top priority for Leon.
After a local school nearly faced a tragic shooting incident, Leon wrote the Boland Act to keep guns out of the hands of mental health patients who are known to be dangerously ill. He worked to bring Republicans and Democrats together to pass the bill into law.
It’s the same hands-on approach he’ll take as Mayor.
“As Mayor, I’ll focus on delivering and improving basic city services. That means using smarter approaches to reducing congestion – like synching up traffic lights to keep the city moving efficiently and safely,” he says.
To better connect our communities, Leon will fight to speed up the completion of the I-526 connecting West Ashley, downtown Charleston, and James and Johns Islands.
Fiscally-Responsible and Committed to Our Schools
As a small business owner, Leon understands the hard work it takes to create jobs. As Mayor, he will make sure city government spends the taxpayers’ money wisely and frugally to help create local businesses jobs, while maintaining critical investments in roads and neighborhood services.
“The road to prosperity runs through the school house door. I’m a product of public schools, and my three children all go to public schools. The next Mayor needs to use his position to be a champion for our local schools, no excuses,” says Leon. He’ll fight for universal pre-k to give every Charleston child the leg up they need, to boost achievement and put them on the road to opportunity and success.
A Lifelong Love For Our City
Leon and his wife Anne live in West Ashley. They have three children, Clara Anne, Emmanuel and Emma.
Growing up, Leon worked at his parents’ restaurant The Coffee Cup, where he served customers, bussed tables and washed dishes. “From a young age, my parents taught me the value of hard work, service, and respecting everybody. I learned that to get things done, you need to roll up your sleeves and take a hands-on approach to any challenge. I’ll bring that approach to problem solving to the Mayor’s office every day.”
Leon attended Orange Grove Elementary School and is a graduate of Middleton High School. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the College Of Charleston and is a graduate of the University Of South Carolina School Of Law. He has served in the South Carolina legislature since 2007. Previously he served as chairman of Charleston County Council and as a local prosecutor.
Charleston businessman, community servant, and mayoral candidate John Tecklenburg is ready to lead his hometown to become this country’s most livable city where opportunities abound for all of its citizens!
John Tecklenburg has spent much of his career as a small business owner and business advocate – a long legacy in his family. Since his great-great grandfather established a corner grocery store at St. Phillip and Wentworth streets in 1867, the Tecklenburg family has been a part of the Charleston business community for well over a century.
In that same tradition, in 1978, John founded Southern Oil Company, which he successfully owned and operated for nearly 20 years. Upon selling the business in 1995, he was appointed by Mayor Joe Riley and Charleston City Council to the position of Director of the Department of Economic Development, where he led the revitalization of Upper King Street.
John is a product of parochial and public education who, through his experiences during the early days of desegregation, came to understand the importance of bringing diverse people together to achieve a common goal. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from Georgetown University in Washington, DC. He also attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston where he pursued his lifelong passion for music and jazz, in particular.
Inspired by the example of his parents’ lives of community service and faith in God, John Tecklenburg has shared his time and talents helping and leading many volunteer and community organizations. He has served as president of the historic Rotary Club of Charleston and president of the Crisis Ministries homeless shelter. He is co-founder and President of SC STRONG, a program for the rehabilitation of former offenders. He has also been a leader with the Palmetto Project, Charleston County Human Services Commission, SC Coastal Conservation League, and Lowcountry Aid to Africa.
John and his wife Sandy live West of the Ashley, and raised their five children here in Charleston. The couple also has five wonderful grandchildren. John and Sandy share a deep concern for our collective quality of life. They believe that the ideal for quality of life is not just where basic needs are met; rather, it is a place of nurturing – a place where we, our families, and our neighbors have the opportunity to realize our full potential. This collective experience is the fulfillment of the true “Spirit of Charleston” – that special place where we love to live, work, play, worship and thrive.
John Tecklenburg believes it is his mission in life to work to leave things better than he found them. He knows that working together, we can improve Charleston’s quality of life and leave things better than we found them. We owe it in respect of those who have come before us and, more importantly, to our children and generations to come.
A businessman, a family man, a proven leader, John Tecklenburg is running for mayor, because he knows that working together, the best days of Charleston are yet to come.
Maurice G. Washington was born and raised in Charleston, South Carolina. Washington is President and CEO of Trust Management, LLC, a financial and consulting services company.
The SC General Assembly elected Washington from the sixth congressional district to the South Carolina State University Board of Trustees in April 2001. He served as chair of the board from June 2002-September 2008.
Washington earned the Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from South Carolina State University. Upon receipt of his undergraduate degree, he entered the securities and insurance industry where he has worked for twenty years as a comprehensive insurance and financial advisor.
Throughout the years, Washington has committed himself as a voice for the public. He was elected to the Charleston City Council in 1991 and served until 1999. In this capacity, Washington served as chair of the ways and means and Community Development Committees. In 1992, Washington was appointed Mayor Pro-Tem of the City of Charleston.
In 2002, Governor Mark Sanford appointed Washington to his transition team. In this position, Washington assisted with numerous board and commission appointments, which included the Governor’s Cabinet.
As a community leader, Washington has received numerous awards and recognitions from both civic and non-profit agencies, including the Charleston Regional Business Journal’s under 40 Award and the Political Honoree for the MOJA Arts Festival. He has served on numerous boards, including the Bank of America (Charleston Area) Board of Directors; Trident Urban League; Spoleto Festival USA; Communities in Schools; South Carolina ETV (Charleston Area); Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce; and South Carolina Coastal Conservation League.
The Washington’s are members of Ebenezer A.M.E. Church where Maurice serves as a junior-trustee. Maurice is a 32nd degree Mason of Gothic Lodge 212 and a member of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity.
Washington is married to the former Violet Beauford, and they are the caring, devoted, and loving parents to four children, and four grandchildren.