Question from Anonymous
I appreciate your interest in becoming one of our City Leaders. I think you will be great!
What is your background in the community? Have you lived here all your life, etc.?
Michael Bryant answered:
I was born in Harlan County. My younger brother and I were raised by a single mother. My Father passed away when I was 10. My road to Richmond is a curious one. In June of 1980 I moved to Lexington to follow and be with my pre-mature daughter. She was three and a half months premature and spent four months in U.K.’s Neonatal Unit. She was a twin and her sister passed away after a week. I hppy to say that Melanie is healthy today and just got married. I worked in a factory in Lexington for six years and had a second daughter. Shortly after Scarlett was born I decided I wanted to go back to school. I can remember my first visit to Richmond. I loaded the family up and drove here on a Saturday afternoon to check out the campus. Turning from West Main onto Lancaster I saw all of the beautiful trees and houses lining both sides of road and immediately fell in love with the town. I moved here in the fall of 1986, enrolled at EKU as a History Major and have been here ever since. I plan to die here.
My background before moving to Lexington was in radio. I started out as a DJ at WHLN-AM after graduating High School. I worked there for six years moving from DJ to becoming the News Director. In 1977 I worked with the staff that was honored with a Peabody Award for coverage of the 1977 flooding in Harlan. From 1986 to 1996 I worked as a reporter at WEKY-AM here in Richmond. During that time period I had a front row seat in watching Richmond explode from a small sleepy town to the thriving town it is today. As a reporter I covered everything going on in the County. I covered all government meetings from Richmond Commission to Fiscal County to Berea Council to school boards and utility board meetings, and all major events from downtown revitalization to the creation of Lake Reba. From the merger of the Richmond City and Madison County school districts to high profile murder cases to the creation of CSEPP. I got to see, first hand, the discussions and planning leading up to most of the decisions made in the city.
I have been involved in a number of community oriented organizations and causes. I was a member of the Richmond Chamber of Commerce’s Ambassador Club and served as chair for a year. During that time I helped incorporated the Ambassadors Club and was named Ambassador of the Year. I have been involved in Pops at the Park, The BPW Auction, The Arts Council Galas, the United Way and a number of other volunteer organizations. I am a graduate of Leadership Madison County. One of the things I love about Richmond and Madison County is its history and heritage. I (along with Mike Sills) helped co-found the Cassius Clay Foundation; a non profit organization to help White Hall State Shrine. As Public Information Officer at CSEPP I was responsible for publishing the CSEPP calendars for several years with historical pictures of Richmond and the County. I wanted to provide emergency information to residents along with the opportunity to share and showcase our past heritage.
I left radio in 1996 and took a job with CSEPP. I was hired as Public Information Officer and worked my way up to being named CSEPP Director about 3 years ago. My main mission is to educate and try to protect all 82,000 folks living in Madison County. In my job I have worked everything from a horse in the well emergency to large diesel spills to major winter storms. During stormy and severe weather I am located in the EOC watching the weather radar and preparing to sound the sirens. I have worked 99 percent of all storms that rolled through Madison County over the last ten years. I give presentations to thousands of people a year, trying to educate them on how to prepare and what actions to take in all emergencies, including a leak at the Blue Grass Army Depot. I am totally committed to my job. I love my job. It is a job that I enjoying going to work everyday. Everyday is a challenge. During the presidential primary I joked with my friends that I’m ready for that 3AM call. I get it all the time.
I can thank my Mother and Father for my values. I was taught at an early age to always be honest and to help my neighbor. Before he passed away my Father would tell me to always try to do the right thing. I have tried to live by those words of wisdom. At times in my life I have not always done the right thing but I always try to meet that standard. I was taught to give back to the community. And that is what I have tried to do both in my volunteer work and in my professional life. Richmond has been good to me over the years and it’s my duty and obligation to return the favor. I want to do everything in my power to help and protect my friends and neighbors, all 82,000 of them.
I am running for Richmond City Commission for several reasons: To help my neighbor, to provide a voice to all citizens, to make sure my town is safe and ready for any and all emergencies, and to try to improve the quality of life in Richmond. When I told my friends I was running for office they teased me and called me a politician. I quickly corrected them and told them I don’t want to be a politician I want to be a public servant. That’s a job I have had for the last 11 years and a job I do very well. I would ask for your vote on November 4 to allow me to be a public servant for the City of Richmond.
I am married to Tracy (Goss) Bryant and live three blocks for Main Street with two dogs, 9 cats (all rescued) and 4 Koi fish.
My background before moving to Lexington was in radio. I started out as a DJ at WHLN-AM after graduating High School. I worked there for six years moving from DJ to becoming the News Director. In 1977 I worked with the staff that was honored with a Peabody Award for coverage of the 1977 flooding in Harlan. From 1986 to 1996 I worked as a reporter at WEKY-AM here in Richmond. During that time period I had a front row seat in watching Richmond explode from a small sleepy town to the thriving town it is today. As a reporter I covered everything going on in the County. I covered all government meetings from Richmond Commission to Fiscal County to Berea Council to school boards and utility board meetings, and all major events from downtown revitalization to the creation of Lake Reba. From the merger of the Richmond City and Madison County school districts to high profile murder cases to the creation of CSEPP. I got to see, first hand, the discussions and planning leading up to most of the decisions made in the city.
I have been involved in a number of community oriented organizations and causes. I was a member of the Richmond Chamber of Commerce’s Ambassador Club and served as chair for a year. During that time I helped incorporated the Ambassadors Club and was named Ambassador of the Year. I have been involved in Pops at the Park, The BPW Auction, The Arts Council Galas, the United Way and a number of other volunteer organizations. I am a graduate of Leadership Madison County. One of the things I love about Richmond and Madison County is its history and heritage. I (along with Mike Sills) helped co-found the Cassius Clay Foundation; a non profit organization to help White Hall State Shrine. As Public Information Officer at CSEPP I was responsible for publishing the CSEPP calendars for several years with historical pictures of Richmond and the County. I wanted to provide emergency information to residents along with the opportunity to share and showcase our past heritage.
I left radio in 1996 and took a job with CSEPP. I was hired as Public Information Officer and worked my way up to being named CSEPP Director about 3 years ago. My main mission is to educate and try to protect all 82,000 folks living in Madison County. In my job I have worked everything from a horse in the well emergency to large diesel spills to major winter storms. During stormy and severe weather I am located in the EOC watching the weather radar and preparing to sound the sirens. I have worked 99 percent of all storms that rolled through Madison County over the last ten years. I give presentations to thousands of people a year, trying to educate them on how to prepare and what actions to take in all emergencies, including a leak at the Blue Grass Army Depot. I am totally committed to my job. I love my job. It is a job that I enjoying going to work everyday. Everyday is a challenge. During the presidential primary I joked with my friends that I’m ready for that 3AM call. I get it all the time.
I can thank my Mother and Father for my values. I was taught at an early age to always be honest and to help my neighbor. Before he passed away my Father would tell me to always try to do the right thing. I have tried to live by those words of wisdom. At times in my life I have not always done the right thing but I always try to meet that standard. I was taught to give back to the community. And that is what I have tried to do both in my volunteer work and in my professional life. Richmond has been good to me over the years and it’s my duty and obligation to return the favor. I want to do everything in my power to help and protect my friends and neighbors, all 82,000 of them.
I am running for Richmond City Commission for several reasons: To help my neighbor, to provide a voice to all citizens, to make sure my town is safe and ready for any and all emergencies, and to try to improve the quality of life in Richmond. When I told my friends I was running for office they teased me and called me a politician. I quickly corrected them and told them I don’t want to be a politician I want to be a public servant. That’s a job I have had for the last 11 years and a job I do very well. I would ask for your vote on November 4 to allow me to be a public servant for the City of Richmond.
I am married to Tracy (Goss) Bryant and live three blocks for Main Street with two dogs, 9 cats (all rescued) and 4 Koi fish.