RADFORD – Six candidates have qualified to run for seats on the Radford City Council: Kellie Artrip, Bobby Davis, Jessie Foster, Seth Gillespie, Janiele Hamden, and Chad McClanahan.
David Horton has qualified to run for another term as Mayor. He is running unopposed.
The public will have a chance to hear what the candidates’ thoughts are on a variety of issues at the upcoming City Council Candidate Forum. Co-sponsored by the Radford Chamber of Commerce, the Montgomery County-Radford City-Floyd County Branch NAACP, and the League of Women Voters Montgomery County, the forum will be held in person Wednesday, Oct. 12 at 7:30 p.m at the Radford High School auditorium, and also will be broadcast live on Facebook.com/radfordchamberofcommerce, Facebook.com/mrfnaacp.org, and Facebook.comLWVofMCVA. They will also be posted the next day on www.radfordchamber.org, www.lwvmcva.org andwww.mrfnaacp.org.
The following biographical information about each candidate was provided by the Radford Chamber of Commerce. (Radford News Journal staff report)
Seth Gillespie is a lifelong resident of Radford who is a 2007 graduate of RHS and a 2012 graduate of RU with a degree in history. He became a small business owner in June 2020 when he purchased Gates Flowers and Gifts in Christiansburg. While he was in college, he worked for the Radford Recreation department.In 2018 he was appointed to the Radford City Planning Commission, and he continues to serve today.David Horton has served as Mayor of Radford for four years. He cites those four years as a time of record investment in the community; growth in housing and jobs; and enhancement of recreation, education, and the community’s quality of life. His prior service roles include environmental improvement, the Radford Chamber of Commerce, Main Street Radford, and Beautification and Municipal Forestry. “This time spent in service has helped me learn much about what makes our community work and how we, as residents, can move our city forward,” the Mayor says. He says his hope is “to continue to lead Radford to even greater success with more 21st century jobs, enhanced spaces throughout the city, additional investment in our citizens with new sources of money from outside the community, and to protect the resources and revenues of the city to ensure long term sustainability.”Kellie Artrip is an RHS graduate who has coordinated the Santa Store Fundraiser at McHarg Elementary and serves on the McHarg PSA Board as treasurer.Jessie Foster is a veteran who is running for re-election to the city council. During her 14 years as a Radford resident, she has served on the Radford City School Board and the Radford City Council for 4-year terms each. During her terms, McHarg Elementary School was renovated, Main street was redesigned, and local parks were supported financially including new tennis and basketball courts.As a veteran, she took special interest in Radford’s American Legion building and was instrumental in ensuring that the building will stand for generations to come.Janiele Hamden grew up in Radford with her dad, Marshall Hamden, who was a small business owner of Lee Ralph’s Sporting Goods, Central Market, M & M Realty, and Allegheny Cafe. She attended Radford City Schools, where she graduated in 2001. While working full time, she began her college education at NRCC and then continued on to Radford University, graduating with both her B.S. (Psychology & Philosophy) and M.S. degrees (Counselor Education). She is the founder and executive director of a local non-profit, the RADical Change Commission, whose mission of initiating and supporting efforts for systemic change are vital for building a better Radford.Chad McClanahan has been a resident of Radford for over 20 years. If elected, he will seek to secure more business on the west end of Radford and will work to beautify downtown.Bobby Davis’s concerns about Radford’s infrastructure and financial situation and its understaffed police department led him to declare for the city council.
