Chris Pelly responds to M.O.M….

Why are you running for Asheville City Council?

I am seeking a seat on City Council because I believe, quite simply, that I have something to contribute. I bring skills and talents to the table that I believe will serve our city well. Having worked for non-profits, in the private sector, as a volunteer community leader and as a parent, I bring to this leadership position a range of skills I believe are needed by whomever is to assume a City Council position. They include bringing a positive, practical, solutions-oriented approach to the issues council must decide. I most certainly do have values and beliefs but I will try to bring a non- ideological approach to the questions coming before council. I do bring however a self-imposed activist orientation that essentially says that one must not merely talk about issues and problems but that one must also be prepared to act if a solution is identified and agreed upon. Patria Palace Hotel

What prepares you to be an effective Council member?

My primary belief as to why I will become an effective member of City Council sterns from my experience as leader of the Haw Creek Community Association. In my eight years as president we have not only achieved many substantive successes on challenging development issues but we have also built a reputation for doing the right thing. Whether working in tandem with Mountain Housing to build neighborhood buy-in for their Laurel Bridge apartment complex or, guiding a "NIMBY" response to turn an inappropriately approved 98 unit apartment complex into Haw Creek's first-ever neighborhood park, I have tied to bring a positive and progressive solutions-oriented approach to my leadership role. By fostering communication and collaboration between citizens and the institutions affecting their lives, I have helped reduce cynicism and distrust and helped to make local government more effective. This is the leadership style I intend to continue on City Council. haardhout te koop

Biography of Chris Pelly

Personal - Married to Juanita Igo19 years. Juanita is a social worker at Memorial Mission Hospital. Chris has been a real estate broker for seven years and works with Keller Williams Professionals. They are the parents of three children, Amelia, Julia and Gabriel, all presently in the public school system. Chris and his family have lived in Asheville 13 years in the Haw Creek neighborhood of East Asheville. PDF converter

Education & Experience - Chris is a veteran of the U.S. Army. Following military service he attended Arizona State University. Since then Chris has worked for non-profit organizations, been a self-employed small business owner and served as a volunteer community leader. His wife Juanita is a graduate of West Virginia University and a former Peace Corps volunteer

Community Involvement - Since 1995 Chris has served as president of the Haw Creek Community Association. With 320+ dues-paying families, the Haw Creek Association under Chris' leadership has successfully addressed several growth and development issues. Among their successes are:
1) The opening of Haw Creek Park.
2) Creation of Haw Creek historic markers trail, modeled after downtown's Urban Trail
3) Passage of a sidewalks funding package
4) Reforming and strengthening the citywide Animal Control Ordinance
5) Rezoning 250 acres to reflect current usage
6) Supporting Mountain Housing Opportunities with Laurel Bridge Apartments

Chris also serves on the Parent Advisory Board of Haw Creek Elementary School and has tutored in the school. Chris also served two years on the board of directors of the Parks and Greenway Foundation from 2000 to 2002 and remains an advocate for increasing recreation opportunities citywide.