COVER STORY
YOU’VE INSPIRED PEOPLE WORLD-WIDE
AND HAVE HELD SOME OF THE MOST
POWERFUL POSITIONS IN ORANGE COUNTY.
HOW DOES IT MAKE YOU FEEL TO NOW BE
THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN MAYOR IN
ORANGE COUNTY?
I have been blessed with the opportunity
to serve my community in various roles
for nearly 38 years and it is always
rewarding to make a difference in the
lives of people. I hope that being the
first African-American in many of these
positions serves as an inspiration to
others to achieve their dreams.
WHAT DEFINES YOU?
I will use the words of the late African
Methodist Episcopal Church Bishop,
John Hurst Adams who said, “He
who makes the definition has already
determined the outcome!” In other
words, don’t let others define you, you
define you. I am defined by the content
of my character, which is internally
driven, but outwardly focused.
WHAT ARE YOU
MOST THANKFUL FOR?
Family and good health.
WHAT EXPERIENCE HAVE YOU HAD THAT
YOU FEEL PREPARES YOU TO BE MAYOR?
The sum total of my life, professional and
educational experiences prepared me for
my new role as mayor. I have a Bachelor
and Master degrees in business and have
public, private and non-profit experience
in leadership roles as an appointed and
elected chief executive.
WHAT OR WHO INSPIRES YOU THE MOST?
I am inspired by my wife, children and
the opportunity to be an influencer in
my hometown. It is an honor to be in a
position to give back to a community that
has given so much to me.
WHAT ARE YOUR BIGGEST
ACCOMPLISHMENTS?
Personally, one of my biggest
accomplishments was to raise three
sons to be drug-free and self-reliant in a
self-indulgent world. Professionally, my
biggest accomplishments have been to
deliver on my promises to the citizens. By
working as a team, we were able to hire
and promote for diversity, improve wages,
reduce crime and infuse innovation into
our workplace and be a relevant factor
that fuels our robust economy.
WHAT ARE YOUR BIGGEST REGRETS?
I have no regrets, because as mayor,
my goal is to make Orange County the
“Experimental Prototype Community of
Tomorrow”.
WHAT IS SUCCESS TO YOU?
Success is having the ability to reach
one’s goals without compromising your
integrity.
IF YOU WROTE A BOOK NEXT YEAR,
WHAT WOULD YOU TITLE IT
AND WHY?
It would be, “Black in Blue at the Top”,
because of the vantage point from where
I now sit and the perspective from where I
sat when I began my career.
YOU HAVE ACCOMPLISHED A GREAT DEAL
OF SUCCESS, TO WHAT DO YOU
ATTRIBUTE THAT?
First, my Christian faith kept me focused
and humble. And, I had great mentors
as a child who helped mold me into
the person I am today by being good
examples of why we should care about
others around us. Lastly, I had great
coaches at work and I was always thirsty
for knowledge and self-motivated to
achieve.
ARE YOU SATISFIED WITH WHAT YOU HAVE
ACCOMPLISHED AND WHERE DO YOU SEE
YOURSELF IN FOUR YEARS?
I understand my purpose and I am
satisfied where I am on this journey of life,
but I know that much more can be done
and I will likely continue my public service
beyond the next four years.
WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR INTERESTS OR
HOBBIES OUTSIDE OF WORK?
I ride Harley Davidson motorcycles and I
have a love for music. I play a little piano
and guitar.
WHY DID YOU WANT TO BECOME MAYOR?
I saw the Mayor’s office as another
opportunity to serve the community and
be a leader in finding long-term solutions
to the challenges we face as a community,
such as: sustaining our economic growth,
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