Paris, Tenn.–John Penn Ridgeway of Paris has announced his intention to run for the office of Henry County Mayor.
Henry County Mayor Brent Greer announced July 20 he will retire effective on or before November 3 after 22 years as County Mayor. Since then, former State Rep. Tim Wirgau and Paris Mayor Carlton Gerrell have also announced they intend to run for the position.
Ridgeway has a broad background, formerly working for the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development and with the Tennessee River Trails Association where he has coordinated with the nine County Chamber Directors and County Mayors to facilitate tourism development in our area. At the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Ridgeway assisted dislocated workers and unemployed persons to access services and skills to better their lives.
For the past 13 years, Ridgeway has worked at the Tennessee College of Applied Technology. “In this capacity, my role has been to oversee budgets and staff as well as collaborate with area industries and development boards for workforce needs. My favorite part of this career has been to match area employers with potential employees for a win-win for local industries and citizens,” he said.
Ridgeway comes from a family of public service. He said, “I am proud to say that I come from a family of dedicated Henry County servants. My father served as the elected State Representative for Henry County and my mother as the Agricultural Extension Agent for Henry County for many years. My family has also owned a business in Paris and Henry County since 1946. My family heritage is only one reason I have made the decision to run for the office of County Mayor.”
He voiced excitement at making his announcement “as Henry County has always been my home. I, along with my wife, Melissa, and my children Walker and Jackson enjoy being active citizens in this community.”
He said, “I feel that my personal life has also been a preparation platform for this job. I am active in many local civic organizations such as Henry County Youth Baseball and Upward Flag Football, as well as the Rotary Club local to my workplace. In addition, I am honored to be a former member of Generation Tennessee Future Leaders Academy, West Tennessee Workforce Board, WestStar and the Paris-Henry County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.”
“My family is like yours. We enjoy the privilege of worshipping and serving our Lord with our family and friends. Our lives have been abundantly full of blessings, as well as challenges. In those times of challenge, we have turned to our faith and tried to see every challenge as an opportunity. My family before me used these opportunities to ensure I would have a safe, thriving community to be educated and grow. Because of their work and dedication to Henry County my children have also had this opportunity. It is now MY responsibility and honor to grow and protect Henry County for our generation and those to follow,” he said.
Ridgeway earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Public Administration from the University of Tennessee at Martin and a Masters of Arts Degree in Education from Bethel University. He noted his professional employment career “has been built upon public service for the betterment of our community.”
He said he has been overwhelmed by the encouragement he has received to seek the office. “I will not run a negative campaign, nor will I avoid a rigorous campaign on the issues that matter. My focus will not be on the politics of the office, rather on the people the office serves. My priorities, should I be given the opportunity to serve as County Mayor, will be:
- Jobs, workforce education and development.
- To not only keep our quality of life, but to improve our quality of life.
- And to be honest, open, accessible, and accountable.