Q&A with new alderman, Jim Frady

The appointment of Michelle Lewis as mayor of Glen Alpine in May left her alderman seat vacant. On Monday, June 10, the Board of Alderman selected resident Jim Frady to fill that seat. His responses to The Paper's questionnaire is below.

How long have you lived in Glen Alpine?

My family has resided in the River Glen community since 2017.

What attracted you to make Glen Alpine your home?

Originally from Burke County, and knowing about the area, prior to 2017 my family and I were living not far from our current neighborhood. We owned a home off Frank Whisnant Road in the Oak Hill community. Having several friends living in the River Glen neighborhood, we loved the quiet images of families walking together and the friendliness of those we met. We felt led to raise our growing family within what we had found in Glen Alpine.

Why are you interested in serving on the Board of Aldermen?

Because of the aforementioned attractiveness of Glen Alpine, I believe that the character the town holds should not only be preserved but also shared with families looking for what my family and others have found. From what I have witnessed, there are great voices within the current board members, and I am privileged to have been considered to serve beside and learn from each.

Minutes from downtown Morganton, I believe that Glen Alpine represents a unique heritage that should be exampled. Preserving the legacy of great families that have served the town, while inviting an atmosphere for business growth is what I would personally like to see moving forward. Seeing the construction of many new homes, the quick purchase of existing homes listed for sale recently, and the turnout to town events tells me that longtime residents love this area, and prospective citizens are desiring to join them. I feel honored to serve in any part of future growth.

Have you held any other elected or appointed positions/offices?

With a growing family, I have stayed as close to Burke County, Morganton, and Glen Alpine topics and politics as time would allow. I have assisted with several campaigns but never felt led to discuss and/or accept any seat or pursue any office. Because I believe so greatly in Glen Alpine as a worthwhile community to grow with, I welcomed this invitation. Additionally, I do currently serve on the board of directors for Meg's Place in Marion, a transition and respite home for children entering into the foster care system.

Provide a brief professional background.

I served in the US Marine Corps from 1990 to 1994 and because of my military training, I worked in the law enforcement community for several years. Eventually leaving uniformed positions, I worked as a sales manager for both Clark Tire / Might Auto Parts and Napa Auto Parts, eventually being recruited as a Territory Sales Manager with AutoZone, managing commercial growth teams for 14 regional retail locations. Today, I am proudly employed at the former Emery Corporation now Toner Machining Technologies Inc. here in Burke County as part of the Sales and Customer Service team.

Tell us more about your family.

My wife, Amanda, and I have been together for 19 years. After we were married, we were blessed with our daughter Emma, who just this year graduated from Freedom High School. With both Amanda and I from families with several siblings, we knew we wanted to grow our family. After years of infertility, we finally submitted and asked God to reveal His will for us. Through some rather extraordinary events in our then-church family, we were introduced to a Family Placement representative with Burke Co DSS. During our transition into Glen Alpine, our oldest daughter Chloe came to us through adoption and our family has been blessed since that day. She is soon entering into her third academic year at Gardner-Webb.

But realizing the God we serve has a sense of humor, Amanda became pregnant 5 years ago with our daughter Ava, and then again 20 months ago with our daughter Julia. If you had told me 30 years ago that I would have been 54 years old with two children 5 and under, I would've laughed. But we feel blessed each day, tired ... but blessed!

I have been a musician and songwriter since my teens and find peace writing and recording in my downstairs home studio. While I haven't posted in the past few months, I also record and produce a local podcast discussing societal and worthy family-centered topics.

Are you considering running for the position when it is up for election next fall?

While I am "brand new" to the seat, I will state publicly that I believe that Glen Alpine is poised for growth, and I would feel blessed to be able to continue my service to the town. I look forward to learning from and supporting the citizens, fellow board, and all town officials. I look forward to speaking with prospective businesses that seek to discover what Glen Alpine has to offer, citizens who visit and desire to raise their families here, and ultimately everyone who values the legacy of this great community. I look forward to serving this appointed term and running for the next election, not because I was allowed to serve once, but because I have been a small part of the growth of something very good!

                                                                                                                                          — AKC