by Bailey White
Staff Writer
Two candidates are competing for the City Council At-large Group 5 seat. Democrat Ju’Coby Pittman and Republican Glorious Johnson both hope to fill the seat currently held by Dr. Gwen Chandler, who cannot run again because of term limits.
Glorious Johnson
Glorious Johnson is running for City Council because she wants to be part of the positive movement sees in Jacksonville.
“The Better Jacksonville Plan is a push forward. There have been a lot of improvements,” she said. “And I want to be part of the continuation of that.”
Currently on a leave of absence from her job as the master admissions representative for Florida Metropolitan University, the Jacksonville native is focusing on what she calls the three “E’s” of her platform.
“They are education, economic development and entrepreneurship,” she said.
A former Duval County school teacher, Johnson believes the Council could work with the School Board and the community to asses the needs of students.
“And we need to continue to fund programs that have shown positive results, like the Children’s Commission and different after school programs,” she said.
In the area of economic development, Johnson wants to see more collaboration between businesses and the educational system, particularly at the university level.
“I think we need to work together to make sure young adults are more prepared for the work force,” she said. “When businesses look into coming here they want to know about our educational system, our downtown, our cultural events. We need to prepare ourselves because we are growing.”
She also wants to encourage more programs such as the Chamber’s Small Business Development and Jacksonville Urban League’s incubators, which support business that she thinks are vital to the community.
“Businesses bring in jobs and opportunity which brings in money and taxes,” she said.
Her Council run isn’t Johnson’s first foray into politics. While studying for her master’s degree at Columbia University, she ran unsuccessfully for the New York state assembly to represent Harlem.
“I think we need to commit ourselves to strong family and community values, to excellence in education,” she said. “We need to go back to values that have served us in the past, like the love of God and our country.”
Ju’Coby Pittman
Ju’Coby Pittman is seeking office for the second time, following a 1998 loss in the Dist. 7 Council race.
“I’ve been involved in the community for about 18 years with government appointed positions and business organizations,” she said. “I really want a chance to give my leadership skills and experience back.”
Pittman was appointed by the governor to serve on the Judicial Nominating Commission and by Mayor John Delaney to the Cultural Council board. The president and CEO of the Clara White Mission for 10 years, she also served on the State Council on Homelessness.
“We’ve just started a culinary and transitional program for homeless veterans,” said Pittman of her work with the Clara White Mission. “They learn the basics in culinary arts and become part of the hospitality labor force that we need in Jacksonville.”
Economic development is one issue Pittman will address if elected.
“Economic development can mean something different to each person in the community,” she said. “We need to articulate what it means to neighborhoods, if it’s parks or new businesses, and then they can find out how they can access assistance in the community.”
Her plan also calls for long-term growth.
“We need to develop a smart growth plan that we can reevaluate annually or as much as possible to make sure the growth in the community is equitable.
She also wants to establish an evaluation tool for Council members.
“Accountability is very important,” she said. “I don’t think any tools have been implemented that allow residents to keep track of our progress. They only get to do this every four years. We could develop a tool that allows voters to voice their opinion.”
Pittman is a Jacksonville native and a graduate of Englewood High School and Edward Waters College.