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Community Corner

Four more endorsements for City Councilman Wan

Unions representing fire and police officers, the Buckhead Coalition and the PAC for the Atlanta Board of Realtors and Atlanta Commercial Board of Realtors have endorsed Alex Wan, who is seeking re-election to his District 6 Atlanta City Council seat

Alex Wan, a long-time Morningside homeowner and civic leader who is seeking re-election to his Atlanta City Council District 6 post, has picked up four more endorsements – Atlanta Fire and Rescue Department, IAFF Local 134 (www.iaff134.org), Atlanta Police Department, IBPO Local 623 (www.ibpo623.org), the Buckhead Coalition (www.Buckhead.net), and, jointly, the Atlanta Board of Realtors and Atlanta Commercial Board of Realtors.

IAFF Local 134 represents Atlanta’s fire and rescue personnel; IBPO Local 623 represents the members of the city’s police department. The Buckhead Coalition is North Atlanta’s prestigious chamber-type organization. It is comprised of 100 business leaders, and its leader, Sam Massell, is a former Atlanta mayor and has long been referred to as “the Mayor of Buckhead.” The Atlanta Board of Realtors and Atlanta Commercial Board of Realtors together represent nearly 8,000 members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries, and they are collectively represented by the Atlanta Realtors Political Action Committee (RPAC)  (http://www.atlcbr.com/Governmental-Affairs/rpac.aspx).

“I am proud to be endorsed by fire & rescue and the police,” Wan says. “I have and will continue to emphasize the importance of public safety. It is crucial that these brave men and women have what they need to do their jobs and that they are recognized and rewarded for the hard work they do to keep us safe.”

These endorsements were announced this week.

“Likewise, I am humbled by the support of the Buckhead Coalition and the Atlanta Board of Realtors and Atlanta Commercial Board of Realtors,” he says. “The Coalition embraces universal issues that affect all of us in the Metro area, such as the responsibility we have to balance sound economic development with the unique character of our neighborhoods. Similarly, the Realtor organizations share an interest – with each other and with me – in balancing business and quality-of-life issues. They appreciate Atlanta’s character as a world-class place to live, work, and play.”

In addition to the Atlanta Fire and Rescue Department and the Atlanta Police Department unions, the Buckhead Coalition and Atlanta RPAC, Wan has been endorsed by:
• Georgia Equality,
• Georgia Log Cabin Republicans,
• Georgia Stonewall Democrats, and
• The Victory Fund.

He also received the Committee for Better Atlanta's highest possible ranking, "Excellent," while one of his challengers received a rating of “Not Qualified” and the other did not to participate in the CBA process, including written answers and an interview.

“The number and, especially, the breadth of these endorsements speaks to Alex’s impressive experience and proven leadership skills,” says Ken Britt, who is chairing Wan’s campaign. 
“In particular, they demonstrate his ability to build coalitions and bring together diverse groups for the betterment of District 6 and all of Atlanta.”

Wan is the first Asian American and first openly gay man to serve on Atlanta City Council. He is Director of Development for Emory University libraries, and previously served as Director of Development for Jerusalem House, an HIV/AIDS non-profit focusing on housing. Before that, he was a successful entrepreneur. 

Raised in Atlanta and a Morningside homeowner for over 19 years, Wan was perhaps best known before his Council win for long-time community involvement, including service on the Atlanta Development Authority (now Invest Atlanta) Board, for which he served as Treasurer and Finance Committee Chair, and as the founder of the successful For the Kid in All of Us, an all-volunteer non-profit. He holds a Bachelor’s in Industrial Engineering from Georgia Tech and a Finance MBA from Wharton Business School.

City Council District 6 encompasses much of Northeast Intown Atlanta, including Ansley Park, Atkins Park, Brookwood Hills (joins the district 01/01/2014), Candler Park (leaves the district 01/01/2014), Druid Hills, Lindbergh/Morosgo (joins the district 01/01/2014), Lindridge/Martin Manor, Midtown (part leaves 01/01/2014), Morningside/Lenox Park, Piedmont Heights, Sherwood Forest and Virginia-Highland.

For more information about Wan and his campaign: www.AlexWanForAtlanta.com.

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