Councilman Erskine Oglesby
City Councilman Erskine Oglesby announced on Friday his intentions to run for mayor of Chattanooga. Councilman Oglesby represents District 7 in Chattanooga which includes St. Elmo, Alton Park, East Lake and parts of downtown.
“For most of my adult life, I have been dedicated to serving others, and these last four years serving the public of Chattanooga has brought many successes and opportunities for Chattanooga to grow,” said Councilman Oglesby. “I want to see Chattanooga be a place where every citizen has the opportunity to develop to their fullest potential. I believe we can achieve the goals of equality and inclusion that are ingrained in our civic culture.
“As we recover from the challenges that our citizens are currently facing, the next four years of our city will be an important chapter that we have the opportunity to write. Chattanooga has been blessed with many opportunities yet there are many neighborhoods in our city that continue to struggle.
“As your next mayor I will focus on the issues that truly impact our residents’ everyday lives -ensuring a strong economy for all, increasing trust in our public safety, and a renewed focus on addressing homelessness throughout our city. We will expand access to affordable housing and tackle our city’s transportation and infrastructure needs all while being fiscally responsible to our citizens and the business community that makes Chattanooga a city of innovation and opportunity.
“I have the vision, passion and the necessary business experience to build a strong, innovative, diverse team to address the current, and future needs of Chattanooga.”
Councilman Oglesby is an active community volunteer serving on the Executive Committee of the Southeast Tennessee Development District, and the boards of the: Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy, YMCA of Metropolitan Chattanooga, Habitat for Humanities for Greater Chattanooga, Chattanooga Neighborhood Enterprises, Tivoli Foundation, Chattanooga Area Employment Consortium, Mark Making, Prison Prevention Ministries, and the Southeast Tennessee Health Consortium Committee.
Councilman Oglesby is also the past chairman of the board of the Erlanger's Community Health Centers and has served as vice chairman of the city of Chattanooga's Pension Board.
He has previously served on the Creative Discovery Museum, WTCI-PBS Television, 100 Black Men of America, Bessie Smith Cultural Center and Metropolitan Ministries, and is a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc, the Chattanooga Downtown Kiwanis and the Tennessee State University National Alumni Association.
Councilman Oglesby is married to Sheryl Oglesby, and together they have their son Ryan, and daughter Dominique, three grandsons, and a great-granddaughter. They are members of Resurrected Reformed Baptist Church.
“I will be a mayor that prioritizes the creation of a comprehensive plan that will grow our neighborhoods while closing the economic divide that currently exist in our city," said Councilman Oglesby. “In the coming months, I plan to meet with citizens groups and neighborhood associations across our city.”