When you go to vote on Nov. 8, you might be surprised to find that Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are not the only ones on the ballot. There are 18 people running for mayor, alderman and the school boards in Germantown and Collierville. These are the people who create and modify laws, pass the budget and are responsible for public education in our community. Get to know them below.

Stan Joyner: Running for a third term as Collierville Mayor

Running Contested

Education: B.S. in Education from University of Memphis

Key Accomplishments:

• Served three terms on the Collierville Board of Mayor and Aldermen and is now serving a second term as mayor
• Helped with the establishment of the Collierville Municipal School district, election of the first Collierville School Board and hiring of a Collierville Schools’ Superintendent
• Honored with a National PTA Life Achievement Award by the Crosswind PTA in May of 2016, which is the highest recognition bestowed by PTA.
• Appointed by Governor Haslam to serve as a member of the Volunteer Tennessee Commission and is currently serving in that role.

Mr. Joyner is a Collierville native who has been involved with town government since 1980. While serving as mayor, Mr. Joyner has centered his work around four areas of strategic focus: stewardship, safety, service and schools. In an interview with The Gryphon Gazette, Mr. Joyner said that being involved with government is something that is important to him. “It’s something I really enjoy doing,” Mr. Joyner said. “Collierville is my hometown. I grew up here, and I just really have a love for the town and want to see us do well. And I really think we are.”

Tom Allen: Running for Collierville Mayor

Running Contested

Education: B.S. in Agriculture from Tennessee Technological University

Key Accomplishments:

• U.S. Army veteran and a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars
• Served on the Comprehensive Land Use Plan Committee, Collierville Planning Commission, the Industrial Development Board, Library Board, Collierville Arts Council, Parks Advisory Board and currently serves on the Design Review Commission
• Founding member of the re-established Collierville Republican Club, serving as president

The most important issue to Mr. Allen is safety. He believes that the Town of Collierville needs more police and firemen, and he is proudest of his advocating for police and fireman pay raise, which he believes has been neglected for the past five years. Additionally, he is proud of reducing water and sewer rates for Collierville taxpayers. He believes that more people should be running for positions in their local government and that his own campaign will provide competition and prevent corruption from those who stay in office uncontested. Mr. Owens attended St. George’s from second to sixth grade. He, his wife and his three daughters live in Germantown and attend Germantown Presbyterian Church. Mr. Owens is an active fitness enthusiast and has two marathons under his belt. In his spare time, he is part of the Los Locos Triathlon team. He believes that service is important. “I just try to help people where I can,” Mr. Owens said. “Like if someone has an issue with their garbage service or if someone needs to get someone to respond to fix a pothole, I can help out with that. It sounds kind of corny, but I really enjoy helping people, and with my background and knowledge, I can better contribute to that.”

John Worley: Running for Collierville Alderman, pos. 3

Education: Unknown

Running Uncontested

Key Accomplishments:

• Served as Vice Chair of the Government Affairs Committee for the West Tennessee Home Builders Association and as a member of the Board of Directors.
• Served with on several town boards and committees, including the Construction Board of Appeals, the 2040 Land Use Plan Steering Committee, the I-269 Small Area Plan Steering Committee, the extensive study for a Collierville 20/20 plan and the Downtown Historic Square Development Steering Committee

Mr. Worley now serves as Liaison for the Town of Collierville Planning Commission. He and his wife attend Collierville United Methodist Church and are parents of six and grandparents of five. According to his bio, he believes he is well qualified to be an alderman.

“I believe that my family and work experience combined with my service on the Collierville Planning Commission uniquely positions me to serve as an Alderman.”

John E. Stamps: Running for Collierville alderman, pos. 5

Education: Unknown

Running Uncontested

Key Accomplishments:

• Served on the Collierville Planning Commission, Historic District Commission, Board of Zoning Appeals and the 2040 Collierville Land Use Steering Committee.
• Is broker and owner of Stamps Real Estate Company and is a member of the Memphis Area Association of Realtors, serving on the Board of Directors and as Vice President.

Mr. Stamps’ family has lived in Collierville for four generations. Mr. Stamps and his wife currently live in Collierville with their two children and attend Central Church. According to his campaign website, he loves being a part of the Collierville community.

“I live here, I shop here and I opened my business here,” Mr. Stamps said on his campaign website. “I am proud to have been raised in the Collierville area and to call Collierville my home. With my career, I have lived in Boston, Detroit, Colorado and Hawaii. I have traveled throughout Europe, Australia, Korea, Japan and Africa. I have always felt most at home in Collierville, Tennessee, and there is truly no place like home!”

Kevin Vaughan: Collierville School board member, pos. 1

Education: Memphis State University with a degree in Electrical Engineering

Running Uncontested

Key Accomplishments:  

• Owns Township Development Services and Township Realty Services.
• Works as an engineer and a real estate broker, and he is also involved with leadership roles in many organizations such as Collierville Rotary Club, Leadership Collierville, the Collierville Chamber of Commerce and the Collierville Education Foundation.

In the four years that Mr. Vaughan has been involved with Collierville School Board, he believes his proudest accomplishments were convincing the Mayor and Board of Aldermen to invest in a new high school and the introduction of the initiative to allow and supply tablets for all Collierville students. The creation of a new school district was one of the primary reasons he ran for his position.

“I knew that it was going to be a very important role in establishing a school district,” Mr. Vaughan said in an interview with The Gryphon Gazette. “My background is one of service, and the school system is very important to my career. I wanted to make sure there was good leadership involved and so I was willing to step up.”

Mark Hansen: Running for Collierville School board member, pos. 3

Education:  B.S. degree in History, M.A. in Political Science from East Tennessee State University, J.D. from the University of Tennessee

Running Uncontested

Key Accomplishments:

• Graduate of Leadership Collierville and has served on its Board of Directors.
• Served the town as a member of the Collierville Planning Commission, the Board of Zoning Appeals and the Steering Committee of the 2040 Strategic Land Use Plan.
• Presently serving on the Governor’s Council of the Tennessee Intercollegiate State Legislature.

Mr. Hansen, who has been a resident of Collierville since 1992, is married and has three children. He is a nationally-known aviation attorney who currently works at FedEx as Lead Counsel for Regulatory Affairs. Additionally, Mr. Hansen has served on the Administrative Board, Board of Trustees, Building Committee and the Staff-Parish Relations Committee of Collierville Methodist Church. Mr. Hansen considers being on the Collierville School Board one of the most rewarding experiences of his life.

“It is extremely rare that one has the opportunity to create a school system from scratch,” Mr. Hansen in an interview with The Gryphon Gazette. “I simply could not ask for a better group of school board members with whom to serve, or a more wonderful Superintendent and staff and teachers. It has been an overwhelmingly positive experience.”

Wright Cox: Collierville School board member, pos. 5

Education: B.B.A from Texas Christian University, graduated from the Louisiana State University Graduate School of Banking

Running Uncontested

Key Accomplishments:

• Served on the Board of Directors of Crichton College and the Mid-South Fair.
• Served as President of the Collierville Chamber of Commerce and was president and founding board member of the Collierville Education Foundation.
• Founding Chairman of the Collierville Three Star foundation, a past board member of Leadership Collierville and was involved in Crosswind Elementary PTA.
• Volunteers for the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life, the Collierville Soccer Association and he has served as the honorary chairman of the March of Dimes Walk America.  
• Recipient of the C. H. Harrell Education Award

Mr. Cox has been a lifelong resident of Collierville and has been an active participant in his community and church. He and his wife have three children and are active members of Hope Presbyterian Church. According to his bio in The Commercial Appeal, his inspiration for running is to make a difference in the Collierville community.

“I want to do what I can to help the community that has been my home for the past 54 years. The future of Collierville depends on the education our children receive today.”

Dave Klevan: Germantown Alderman, pos. 3

Running Contested

Education: Marshall University

Key Accomplishments:

• Principal/Owner of Corporate Benefits Management Group, which was named Small Business of the Year by the Germantown Chamber  
• Served on our Financial Advisory Commission, later to serve as Chairman.
• Served on the Planning Commission for over 10 years, the last 6 of which he was the Chairman

Mr. Klevan is a U.S. army veteran who has lived in Germantown with his wife for over 30 years. He has been involved with Leadership Germantown and according to his campaign website, he is a firm believer that Germantown is on track to have future leaders.

Dean Massey: Running for Germantown Alderman, pos. 3

Running Contested

Education: University of Mississippi

Key Accomplishments:

• Recruited by the Police Corps
• Has 13 years of experience as an insurance agent and is licensed to write Auto, Home, Life and Health insurance policies in Tennessee

Mr. Massey has been a resident of Germantown since 2002. Before graduating, Mr. Massey was recruited by the Police Corps, a program placing trained police officers in areas of social need. After working with this program, he became an insurance agent and now owns his own business, Massey Insurance, with his wife. His inspiration for running was his strong sense of duty to his country and his city. “I have always had a strong sense of duty to my country, which translates into a duty to my city,” Mr. Massey said. “[Those who asked me to serve] felt like my character combined with my background in business, criminal justice and fraud examination made me a good candidate.”

Rocky Janda: Running for Germantown Alderman, pos. 5

Mr. Janda was born in Memphis and graduated from Germantown High School and the University of Memphis. Mr. Janda and his wife are active members of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church. He has three children and five grandchildren. According to his website, his love for Germantown is what motivated him to run for his position. “I love this city and will do everything to make sure we are at the top of our game,” Mr. Janda said. “My business is based here. We live here, we shop here, play here and pray here. All three of my children own homes here. We are truly invested in Germantown, and I am ready to continue to serve as your Alderman.”

Forrest Owens: Germantown Alderman, pos. 4

Education: University of Memphis, received a BA in English and a Master’s degree in City and Regional Planning

Running Uncontested

Key Accomplishments:

• Worked as the Chief Planner and Planning Director for the Department of Community Development in Germantown for 10 years
• Has been a member of the Leadership Germantown Alumni Association for 16 years
• Elected in 2012 as the Position 4 Alderman, where he served for four years
• His company, Glass Seating and Mobility, was awarded the HME Excellence Award
• Currently serves as the Vice Mayor of Germantown, the co-chair to the Wellness Council and the liaison to the Planning Commission

Mr. Owens attended St. George’s from second to sixth grade. He, his wife and his three daughters live in Germantown and attend Germantown Presbyterian Church. Mr. Owens is an active fitness enthusiast and has two marathons under his belt, which include the Boston Marathon and the Hawaiian Ironman Triathlon. In his spare time, he is part of the Los Locos Triathlon team. He also believes that service and helping people out is very important.

“I just try to help people where I can,” Mr. Owens said. “Like if someone has an issue with their garbage service or if someone needs to get someone to respond to fix a pothole, I can help out with that. It sounds kind of corny, but I really enjoy helping people, and with my background and knowledge, I can better contribute to that.”

David Nishwitz: Running for Germantown Alderman, pos. 5

David Nishwitz currently works for Fogelman Properties. He is married and is a proud father of twins. He has also been an active member of Hope Presbyterian Church for over 15 years, where he holds the position of ordained Deacon. “I truly believe that Germantown is on the cusp of stimulating change, even as we maintain our deep-seated Germantown roots,” Mr. Nishwitz said. “I am willing to serve in this role as alderman in order to take our city to the next level. I plan for Germantown to be current and progressive with a deeply, committed community that works together.”

Linda Fisher: Running for Germantown School board member, pos. 1

Running Contested

Education: Earned a bachelor’s degree from Purdue University

Key Accomplishments:

Laura Meanwell: Running for Germantown School board member, pos. 1

Running Contested

Education: Bachelor of Engineering Degree in Electrical Engineering from Vanderbilt University

Key Accomplishments:

• Memphis Metro Conference United Methodist Women board member
• Class of 2009 Leadership Germantown Graduate

• Executive Assistant for an independent banking consultant

• Recipient of the City’s S.P.I.R.I.T. award, a peer-nominated accolade
• Independent Business Consultant in Warsaw, Poland
• International Paper – Mill Electrical Engineer, Marketing Services Manager, Lead Team Facilitator, Product Manager, SAP Business Analyst

Mrs. Meanwell is married and has two children who attend Houston High School. When she is not journeying around the world to fulfill her love of travel, she is busy working on various programs around Memphis and attending Germantown United Methodist Church. Mrs. Meanwell feels that she is equipped for her position.

“My college degree is in electrical engineering, and I’m a problem-solver by nature and training,” Mrs. Meanwell said. “When I see an opportunity to improve something, I automatically roll up my sleeves and want to be involved in developing solutions. In this case, the challenge is “How does the school district meet and exceed its motto, ‘Excellence. Always?’”

Suzanne Jones: Running for Germantown School board member, pos. 3

Running Contested

Education: B.S. in accounting from the University of North Texas Cum Laude

Key Accomplishments:

• Vice President of Dogwood Elementary
• Mary Kay, Inc. – Head of International and Consolidated Reporting for the corporation. Led the conversion of the consolidation of all U.S. and International reporting to PeopleSoft reporting software leading to efficiencies and more analytical data available for management
• Bank of America – Senior Vice President – Led teams within Finance, managing Securitizations, SEC and Regulatory Reporting and Consumer Bank Sales Reporting
• Executive responsible for National Group Banking
  • Consolidation of Bank of America and NationsBank Securitization group
  • Publication of the first full Annual Report for the Bank in over 4 years.
  • Led the restructuring of the Allowance for Loan Losses function and implemented new accounting processes to improve the overall Allowance process.
  • Increased sales in National Group Banking year over year, driving a higher percentage of total new deposits

Mrs. Jones has lived in Germantown since 2012 with her husband and three sons. She has taken an active role in her sons’ schools by being a leader in PTAs and an advocate with school administration.  If she is elected, she hopes that she would bring a strength to the school board.

“We have a lot that has to be accomplished over the next three to five years including building new schools since our numbers are increasing annually, more than we’d even thought,” Mrs. Jones said. “I have 20 years in business. I can bring that business and financial background to truly analyze and look at where we are going to try and get them to a proactive role versus a reactive role.”

Natalie Williams: Running for Germantown School board member, pos. 3

Running Contested

Education:

• Masters in Education, University of Georgia
• Doctoral work in Education, Baylor University
• Postdoctoral work, Shippensburg University
• Instructor, Baylor University, Teacher Education Program

Key Accomplishments:

• Teacher for 21 years, has taught all grade levels
• Tenn. Legislative Representative for GMSD Board
• Member Germantown Education Commission
• Member of all 5 PTAs: Dogwood, Farmington, Riverdale, Houston Middle and Houston High
• Worked with the Germantown Chamber and Vanderbilt University to bring awareness to employment needs of special education students as they transition out of public school

Mrs. Williams is married and has two children who are in public education. While holding her position, Mrs. Williams considers starting a new school district from scratch the biggest challenge she’s faced, and she is proud of what has been accomplished. When asked what message she would have for high school students, Mrs. Williams replied that students should try as many things as possible to find what they are passionate about, and she is grateful for the opportunity to have found her passion.

“My parents were very supportive and they let me try out a lot of different things,” Mrs. Williams said. “I found that teaching and education was something that I really enjoy. It is something that is challenging, but it is something that I love to do.”

Amy Eoff: Running for Germantown School board member, pos. 5

Running Contested

Education:

• Graduated high school from Briarcrest Christian School
• University of Tennessee, Knoxville with honors

Key Accomplishments:

• Tennessee Parent-Teacher Association (PTA)  Life Achievement Award.
• Served as room parent, grade captain, membership chair, room parent chair and PTA president
• Member of the Tennessee Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Coordinating Council

Mrs. Eoff was raised in Germantown and graduated from Briarcrest Christian School. Though she and her husband moved to Maryland for a time, she has since returned and has been living in Germantown since 2005 with her husband and three children. She has maintained an active role in her children’s schools by serving as room parent, grade captain, membership chair, room parent chair and PTA president. According to her campaign Facebook page, she believes that “her passion for education, love for her community, [and] experience as a teacher, PTA leader and parent creates a unique perspective that would be a strong addition to the Germantown Board of Education.”

Mindy Fischer: Running for Germantown School board member, pos. 5

Running Contested

Education: Fischer graduated from Ridgeway High School and graduated with a BFA in Interior Design from the University of Memphis.

Key Accomplishments:

• Founding President of the Germantown Municipal Council PTA
• Houston High School PTSA Vice President
• Serving on the Germantown Middle School and Germantown Elementary School PTA
• Recipient of the Tennessee PTA Lifetime Achievement Award, Germantown Middle School and Germantown Elementary School
• Currently Chairman of the Germantown Education Commission

Mrs. Fischer is married and has two children who attend Houston High School and Houston Middle School. She was born and raised in Memphis and has been a resident of Germantown for a total of 18 years. According to her website, her “commitment to Germantown Municipal Schools is long term and personal” which is shown through the fact that her children attend Germantown Municipal Schools. Additionally, she considers her main goal to be “[educating] students and [preparing] them to be the next generation of leaders.”