Winston-Salem
Allen Joines
INCUMBENT
713 Surrey Path Trail, 27104
Age: 62
Campaign website/blog: allenJoinesformayor.com
Occupation and employer: President, Winston-Salem Alliance
Previous elective experience: Mayor since 2001
Civic and volunteer experience: United Way Board; Winston-Salem Arts Council; NC League of Municipalities; president, NC Metropolitan Mayors Coalition; NC Local Government Commission; NC Economic Development Board; Salvation Army Boys Club Board; chairman, Triad March of Dimes; Winston-Salem Business Board; Children’s Museum Board; Downtown Winston-Salem Board; Piedmont Triad Research Park Board; Goodwill Industries Board; Leadership Winston-Salem
Education: BS in political science, Appalachian State University; master of public administration, University of Georgia
What is the city of your birth? North Wilkesboro
Moved here: 1971
Paid consultants working on campaign: Horn and Stronach
Campaign managers: Jim Shaw, Nancy Hall and Ann Guill
Money raised (Oct. 19): $88,979
Money spent (Oct. 19): $65,543
Core positions: • Creation of up to 30,000 new jobs over the next decade • Keeping taxes and fees low to attract business and industry to the area • Enhancing green space, recreational facilities, entertainment venues by broadening the city’s tax base • Strengthening neighborhoods by supplying more affordable housing
Quote: “Generally what I’ve found is that if you have an issue, if you can get the various interests around the table, you can get some common ground that works and end up with a solution that accomplishes for the most part what you need but doesn’t damage some aspect of the community. I think you have to be careful anytime you come up with a plan or program that you don’t have unintended consequences.” — Interview, Sept. 23
INCUMBENT
Wanda Merschel
851 W. 4 th St., Apt. 8, 27101 Age: 59
Campaign website/blog: www.voteforwanda.org
Occupation and employer: Senior vice president, Piedmont Federal Savings Bank
Previous elective experience: Serving third term as Northwest Ward representative
Civic and volunteer experience: Past president, West End Association; board member, Downtown Winston-Salem Partnership; board member, Children’s Home; board member, Arts Council; former trustee, Historic Bethabara; Winston-Salem Rotary member
Education: [Inc.]
What is the city of your birth? Winston-Salem
CHALLENGER
Peter Sorensen
4460 Lochurst Drive, Pffafftown, 27040 Age: 40
Campaign website or blog: www.gopetergo.com
Occupation and employer: Media, Wake Forest University-WFDD FM
Previous elective experience: None
Civic and volunteer experience: [Incomplete]
Education: Bachelor in business administration and marketing , American Intercontinental University (graduated summa cum laude)
What is the city, state of your birth? Oceanside, Calif.
Moved here: 2004
Paid consultants working on campaign: None
Campaign manager: Self
Money raised: Less than $3,000
Money spent: Less than $3,000
Core positions: •
Redistribution of city resources to benefit suburban neighborhoods •
Creation of an “organic environment” to spur business growth by
revising tax incentive policies • Greater fiscal responsibility and
citizen oversight in public-private development projects like the
downtown ballpark
Quote: “The whole notion of economic development should be supporting small and medium-sized businesses and hoping that maybe a larger enterprise would want to come to this city. We’re doing the inverse. The city is actually is going after these big, brass ring corporations, but when they fail, and unfortunately it has in the case of Dell, there are a lot of people’s lives that are affected. In terms of economic development, we need to shift our focus to small and medium-sized businesses, which are truly the growth of job creation.” — National Urban League Young Professionals candidate forum, Oct. 13
Paid consultants working on campaign: [Incomplete]
Campaign manager: George Bryan
Money raised (Oct. 19): $12,478
Money spent (Oct. 19): $4,793
Core positions: • Maintenance of the city’s triple-A bond rating • Keeping property taxes low while maintaining a high level of city services • Preservation of historic neighborhoods • Focusing on improved quality of life issues to recruit and retain industry
Quote: On downtown baseball stadium: “I don’t think anyone could’ve foreseen what happened to the financial markets a year ago. To say anybody on the council or the mayor should’ve been able to see what was coming — that’s an unreasonable expectation. As a private citizen, I’ve been very upset and very angry as we’ve gone through this process. Some days I am so angry, but as a council member, I can’t be angry. I have to work methodically through the situation we have now. We have to support the long-term needs of the community. We have to balance the needs of the community with the city’s investment.” — Interview, Sept. 14
DD Adams
3661 Marlowe Ave., 27106 Age: 55
Campaign website or blog: None
Occupation and employer: Quality engineer, Johnson Controls
Previous elective experience: Ran for NC House in 1990;Obama delegate, 2008 Democratic National Convetion; Democrats Under Construction, 2008; volunteer, Perdue for Governor, 2008; precinct organizer, Forsyth County, 2008; primary election canvasser, 2008; get-out-the-vote, Coliseum precinct, 2006; get-out-thevote, Coliseum precinct, 2004; get-out-the-vote, North Ward, 2000; volunteer, Libba Evans for Congress, 1998; volunteer, Martha Wood for Mayor, 1997; campaign manager, Faiger Blackwell for State House; volunteer and get-out-the-vote, Elaine Marshall for Secretary of State; Clinton alternate delegate, 1996 Democratic National Convention; campaign chair, Nelson Malloy for Alderman North Ward; Clinton delegate, 1992 Democratic National Convention; volunteer, Jim Hunt for Governor, 1992; fellow, NC Institute of Political Leadership, 1990; co-manager, Winston-Salem campaign office, Harvey Gantt for Senate; precinct chair, Brown-Douglas precinct, 1989-1999; campaign committee, Martha Wood for Mayor; campaign manager, Earline Parmon for County Commissioner; Winston-Salem campaign committee, Jesse Jackson for President
Civic and volunteer experience: Winston-Salem
Sustainability Commission; Emmanuel Baptist Church; board member, East
Winston Community Development Corp.; board member, First Tee of the
Triad; Kimberly Park Tennis Club; Leadership Winston-Salem, 1991; NC
Institute of Political Leadership, 1991; Order of the Eastern Star,
Rose McCloud Chapter #608; Planned Parenthood of Winston-Salem; board
member, Piedmont Triad chapter, Executive Women’s Golf Association;
board member, Step One; United Way; various capacities, University Area
Neighborhood Association; various capacities, Ralph R. Morgan
Auxiliary; Smart Start Allocations Panel, 2008 and 2009; life member,
Winston-Salem Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority; board
member, Winston-Salem Urban League; member, YMCA
Education: BA in speech communication, Morgan State University, Baltimore, 1976
What is the city of your birth: Winston-Salem
Paid consultants working on campaign: Paulette Everett
Campaign manager: Paulette Everett
Money raised (Oct. 26): $9,314
Money spent (Oct. 26): $8,543
Core positions: • Equal police protection for all Winston-Salem residents • Opposed to forced annexation without residents having a vote • Recruitment of young professionals to the area • Revitalization of inner city neighborhoods
Quote: “The four things that attract young professionals to any city or retain them is one, housing, good housing; great jobs; great medical benefits or hospitals in the area; and great schools….We have to work on our educational issues here in Winston in the schools and we have to create jobs…. If we’re not able to create a quality of life, sustainability of community, that they want to be a part of Winston and Winston wants to be a part of them, and that’s only through, again we keep saying this, creation of a job environment.” — National Urban League Young Professionals candidate forum, Oct. 13
OPEN
John Hopkins
1635 Bright Leaf Road, Pfafftown, 27040 Age: 49
Campaign website/blog: www.johnhopkinsnc.org
Occupation and employer: PC technician
Previous elective experience: None
Civic and volunteer experience: President,
Forsyth Citizens Against Forced Annexation; Citizens Police Academy
Program with the Winston-Salem Police Department, June 2007; city of
Winston-Salem University program on municipal government, November
2006; ordained deacon, United Baptist Church, June 2006- May 2009;
chief judge, Northwest Middle School Precinct for the Forsyth County
Board of Elections, May 2006; member of the board of directors of the
Wedgewood Civic Association; trained as a Crisis Line Counselor for
Contact of Winston-Salem, fall of 1993
Education: BS in business administration, East Carolina University, 1983
What is the city and state of your birth? Mayagez, Puerto Rico
How long have you lived here? Has lived in Winston-Salem since 2005, when his neighborhood was forcibly annexed; lived in Triad since 1990
Paid consultants working on campaign: None
Campaign manager: Self
Money raised (Oct. 19): $2,624
Money spent (Oct. 19): $1,977
Core positions: •
Opposed to annexation without citizens first getting a vote on the
issue • Enhanced oversight of city’s nearly $28 million investment in
downtown ballpark • Relaxing restrictions on prayer at city council
meetings • Lower taxes and enhanced city services
Quote: “We need to allow to have freedom of speech. Right now, in the city of Winston-Salem, you can’t come and give a benediction before the city council and use the name of Jesus Christ. I have a problem with that. This is the United States of America. We have freedom of speech. We have freedom of religion, and if somebody comes to give the invocation before the city council, they should be able to pray as their conscience so dictates. As long as we give all the major religions equal access to bring the benediction, then I think we have no problems.” — National Urban League Young Professionals candidate forum, Oct. 13
Vivian H. Burke
INCUMBENT
3410 Cumberland Road, 27105 Age: 75
Campaign website or blog: None
Occupation and employer: Retired
guidance counselor, Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools; regional
manager, NC Department of Environment and National Resources
Previous elective experience: Elected to city council in 1977; mayor pro tem for 16 years
Civic and volunteer experience: Gang chairman for the city; Housing Authority Scholarship; chair, Public Safety Committee; member, Finance Committee; Youth Advisory Committee
Education: BS, Elizabeth City State University; MS, NC A&T University
What is the city of your birth? [Inc]
Moved here? [Inc]
Paid consultants working on campaign: None
Campaign manager: Gardenia Henley
Money raised (Oct. 19): $3,246
Money spent (Oct. 19): $3,341
Core positions: •
Increased citizen participation in city government and the school
system • Enhanced neighborhood watch programs • Increased emphasis on
revitalizing the Liberty Street corridor and other economically
depressed areas of the city • Support of Winston- Salem Police
Department’s efforts to eradicate gang violence
Quote: “Let my record speak. It continues to speak…I would say that quality of life in Winston-Salem is most important. I believe in citizens’ participation, and I feel that all citizens have a right to speak and talk about their neighborhoods. In the Northeast Ward these past four years, we have done more commercial development than any ward in the city, which has created new jobs and opportunities. I will continue to work with young, new first-time homebuyers to give them the incentives that we give to help them. ” — National Urban League Young Professionals candidate forum, Oct. 13
Claudia L. Shivers
CHALLENGER
2108 E. 25 th St., 27105 Age: 35
Campaign website or blog: None
Occupation and employer: Accountant, Collective Accounting and Tax Services
Previous elective experience: None
Civic and volunteer experience: Committee
chair, ECHO Council Outreach; board member, Infant Mortality Coalition;
past board member, Consumer Credit Counseling; past treasurer and
founder, Winston- Salem Urban League; community activist and advocate,
Coalition of Young Leaders
Education: Certificate in accounting, Davidson County Community College; currently enrolled at Forsyth Tech to obtain accounting degree
What is the city of your birth? Lexington
Moved here: [Incomplete]
Paid consultant working on campaign: Byron Nelson
Money raised (Sept. 1): $2,120
Money spent (Sept. 1): $2,030
Core positions: •
Serving as an effective liaison between city government and residents
of the Northeast Ward • Making affordable housing more readily
available to Northeast Ward residents • Bringing amenities to the
Northeast Ward to help encourage business investment and lower crime
rates • Enhanced city-supported arts education programs
Quote: “I would like to see more businesses in our ward, more opportunity developed in our ward, and more younger people move back into that ward … I would love to see our partnership between the older and the younger residents of the ward, as well as the newer folks moving into that particular ward because that’s what gives us a sense of community… Another way that I would like to see the communities be re-empowered is through community conversations and then training people to become leaders…I would like to see an empowered, youthful Northeast Ward.” — National Urban League Young Professionals candidate forum, Oct. 13
Derwin Montgomery
601 S. Martin Luther King Drive, 27110 Age: 21
Campaign website or blog: www.Montgomery09.com
Occupation and employer: Winston-Salem State University Housing and Residence Life
Previous elective experience: None
Civic and volunteer experience: Immediate past president and 1st vicepresident, WSSU NAACP; 1st vice-president, NC NAACP Youth & College Division; president FOCUS (Followers Of Christ Under Salvation); RAP Mentor Family Services; youth pastor, 1st Calvary Baptist Church; chaplain, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Incorporated Mu Epsilon Chapter; Keep Winston- Salem Clean/Adopt A Street
Education: Senior, Winston-Salem State University
Party registration: Democrat
What is the city and state of your birth? Hopkins, SC
Moved here: 2006
Paid consultants working on campaign: None
Campaign manager: Self
Money raised: Less than $3,000
Money spent: Less
than $3,000 Core positions: • Organize neighborhoods in the East Ward
by coordinating with neighborhood leaders • Creation of Twin City
Collegiate Council, a think tank of students from local colleges and
universities, to advise city council • Financial incentives to small
businesses to bring amenities to East Ward
Quote: “There is a lot that has been done but there is a lot more that we can do. We have to begin to take ourselves out of the position of apathy and self-constraint and thinking that where we are is all we can do and begin to empower ourselves to take back our own communities — that this is where we live, this is our responsibility to be involved in the process. City council members have a great opportunity and a great job to interact face-to-face with individuals and empower them to do just that.” — National Urban League Young Professionals candidate forum, Oct. 13
CHALLENGER
Chuck Wollard
5052 S. Main St., 27107 Age: 66
Campaign website or blog: www.gochuckgo.com
Occupation and employer: Retired vice-president , southern zone for Teledyne/Water Pik.
Previous elective experience: None
Civic and volunteer experience: Past member, Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Utilities Commission
Education (highest degree attained and name of institution): MBA, UNC-Chapel Hil
l What is the city of your birth? High Point
When did you move to Winston-Salem? [Incomplete]
Paid consultants working on campaign: None
Campaign manager: Byron Nelson
Money raised: Less than $3,000
Money spent: Less than $3,000
Core positions: •
Economic incentives to assist small businesses • Pay increases for
police and fire department employees • More parks and amenities in the
Southeast Ward • Greater fiscal responsibility exercised by the city
council
Quote: “If I’m elected, we will not annex anyone without the people we’re annexing having a vote on it. I don’t like the baseball stadium. I don’t like the way it’s going. The money we’re pouring into that baseball stadium; the money we gave to Dell. I don’t think we should ever give tax dollars or tax incentives to any company to come in.” — Interview, Oct. 13
CHALLENGER
Molly Leight
INCUMBENT
313 S. Main St., 27101 Age: 64
Campaign website or blog: www.mollyleight.com
Occupation and employer: Retired
Previous elective experience: Serving first term on city council
Civic and volunteer experience: Member
and chair, Historic Resources Commission; Stakeholder Committees on
Traditional Neighborhood Developments, Conservation Neighborhoods and
Sign Ordinance; member and chair, Winston-Salem Neighborhood Alliance;
Master Gardener Volunteer of Forsyth County; member and chair, Old
Salem Landscape Restoration Committee
Education: BS, Salem College
What is the city your birth? Winston-Salem
Paid consultants working on your campaign: None
Your campaign manager: Jeff Schindler
Money raised (Oct. 19): $7,961
Money spent (Oct. 19): $7,555
Core positions: Preservation
of city’s historic neighborhoods and communities • Strengthening the
city’s tree ordinance to protect green space • Support of Winston-Salem
Police Department’s efforts to eradicate gang activity and gang
violence • Creation of a tiered payment system for water and sewer
service to the city’s outlying areas
Quote: “I have long thought that people who move out to the suburbs and receive water and sewer service from the city — usually what they pay for water is not as much as it costs to get the water to them. We need to start charging people prorated rates for water service to match where they want to live, plus the tiered system for stormwater. It’s more a mindset. When it’s going to be more expensive to drive into town and park and drive back home, we don’t have a chance of controlling it until it hits people in the pocketbook.”— Interview, Sept. 1
James Taylor
CHALLENGER
858 Shalimar Drive, 27107 Age: 28
Campaign website or blog: www.jamestaylorcampaign.com
Occupation and employer: Juvenile court counselor, state of North Carolina
Previous elective experience: None
Civic and volunteer experience: Young Democrats of Forsyth County; Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club Advisory Board; vicechair, Silk Plant Forest Citizen Review Committee; cofounder, Project EAGLE; Black Political Awareness League; Fathers and Friends Advisory Board; Keep Winston Salem Beautiful Program; Urban League YP; Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club basketball coach; Twin City League coach; Salvation Army Christmas volunteer; National Association of Black Veterans; Defined Destiny Leadership Enrichment
Education: BS in criminal justice, NC Central University
What is the city your birth? Winston-Salem
Paid consultants working on campaign: None
Campaign manager: Chris Church
Money raised (Oct. 19): $3,621
Money spent (Oct. 19): $2,863
Core positions: •
Protect existing businesses through grants and loans, recruit small and
medium-sized business with incentives • Suspension of Operation Impact,
a city code enforcement program to hold absentee landlords accountable
• Rebuild trust between the community and the police by putting
officers in the schools
Quote: “In the Southeast Ward, Operation Impact is almost a profane word. It has good intentions in theory, but in practice, Operation Impact is going to the homes of the upstanding citizens. I’ve had three different meetings in the Easton neighborhood area, and they are discussing the fact they have complained to city officials about blighted homes, and about drugs and about prostitution going on in several houses, and the city officials are going into their homes…Until we find out what we will do with Operation Impact, it’s important that we suspend it…..” — National Urban League Young Professionals candidate forum, Oct. 13
Robert Clark
2815 Country Club Road, 27104 Age: 55
Campaign website or blog: None
Occupation and employer: Management, Leesona Corp.
Previous elective experience: Serving second term on city council
Civic and volunteer experience: Board of directors, Crosby Scholars, Datamax Foundation and Children’s Law Center
Education (highest degree attained and name of institution): MBA, University of Pennsylvania; BA, Sewanee, the University of the South
What is the city and state of your birth? [Inc]
Moved here: [Inc] Paid consultants working on campaign: None
Campaign manager: Self
Money raised (Oct. 19): $1,452
Money spent (Oct. 19): $6,577
Core positions: •
Greater transparency in city government • Helping the city transition
to a 21st century economy through economic development incentives •
Creation of good-paying jobs for citizens • Revitalization of historic
neighborhoods and continued support for the arts
Quote: “You can’t do anything with a half-built stadium; there’s a lot of things we can do with a built stadium. It is somewhat of a predicament down there. We’ve had to borrow and spend a lot more money than we should have, and I say we, meaning the private developers as well as the city but in order to put together a business plan to utilize that asset so that it’s self-funded which is what our goal is. It’s got to be finished.” — Interview, Oct. 2
INCUMBENT
Dan Besse
1136 Miller St., 27103 Age: 54
Campaign website or blog: www.danbesse.org
Occupation and employer: Attorney, self-employed
Previous elective experience: First elected to Winston- Salem City Council in 2001
Civic and volunteer experience: NC
Environmental Management Commission, NC Sedimentation Control
Commission, NC Coastal Resources Commission, NC Emergency Response
Commission; NC Climate Action Plan Advisory Group; Piedmont Triad
Partnership, Piedmont Triad Early Action Compact, Winston-Salem Urban
Area Transportation Advisory Committee; vice chair of the Large Cities
Council for the National League of Cities; Ardmore Neighborhood
Association; Twin City Track Club; Legal Aid Society of Northwest North
Carolina; Mediation Services of Forsyth County
Education: JD, UNC-Chapel Hill
What is the city of your birth? Hickory
Moved here: 1993
Paid consultants working on campaign: None
Campaign manager: None
Money raised (Oct. 19): $18,990
Money spent (Oct. 19): $25,201
Core positions: •
Enhanced environmental protections to preserve clean air, clean water
and green space • Reining in urban sprawl by continued investment in
the downtown area • Increased investment in biodiesel to stimulate the
economy and clean up the city’s air • Increased efforts to bring jobs
of the future to the area through regional partnerships
Quote: “It’s healthy to have young people running for city council. I respect any young person who gets out in the community and campaigns. I hope anyone who does that will put in a real history of public service work before they run. It’s important for people to judge each individual race on the merits of the candidates. It’s fair to ask, ‘Does Candidate A have the energy and time to serve?’ If they look at my record, they’ll see the answer to that is ‘yes.’ I have the advantage of being further along in my career.” — Interview, July 25
INCUMBENT
Ted Shipley
2563 Bitting Road, 27104 Age: 31
Campaign website or blog: www.tedshipley.com
Occupation and employer: Corporate attorney, Spilman Thomas & Battle
Previous elective experience: None
Civic and volunteer experience: Winston-Salem
Forsyth County Community Appearance Commission; Arts Council,
Winston-Salem; president, Young Lawyers Division, Forsyth County Bar
Association; Winston- Salem Rotary Club; Winston-Salem Chamber of
Commerce, Government Affairs
Education: Wake Forest University School of Law; BS in business administration, UNC-Chapel Hill
What is the city of your birth? Winston-Salem.
Paid consultants working on your campaign: Byron Nelson
Campaign manager: Byron Nelson
Money raised (Oct. 19): $31,474
Money spent (Oct. 19): $19,731
Core positions: • Opposed to forced annexation • Offering tax credits
to stimulate the local economy rather than economic incentive packages
• Enhanced support for city’s medical industry • Greater transparency
in city government
Quote: “Regulation takes on a whole broad spectrum of areas when it comes to governments. I’m a big advocate of personal property rights, especially someone’s real property. I’m against any forced annexation. I’m for a moratorium on any forced annexation until the General Assembly can rewrite the annexation laws. I hope the General Assembly goes forward to give people who are being annexed a voice…They should have a right of action against the municipality.”— Interview, July 23
CHALLENGER
