[Mr. Shannon Glover is one of the six certified candidates for Mayor of Portsmouth. He provided the following biographical information to help acquaint the Portsmouth electorate with what he has to offer.]

Shannon Glover is a business owner in the City of Portsmouth and a leader in the community. He is running for Mayor because he is concerned about the future of our city and believes it is time for our leadership to change. As Mayor, Shannon will collaborate with council members and listen to the community. He will build relationships with residents, community leaders, schools and businesses to address the current and future struggles being faced by our city. Shannon will be a new Mayor with a new approach who will give our city a new future.

Business Owner

Shannon is a small business owner in the City of Portsmouth. His company, Commonwealth Employee Benefit Solutions, Inc., specializes in providing human resource consulting services and managing employee benefit programs for companies with 2 to 500 employees. Additionally, Shannon, and his wife, Paula, own Creative Learners Educational Center located in Portsmouth.

Through his businesses, Shannon interacts with many business owners in Portsmouth. He listens to their struggles and shares their concerns about the economic difficulties faced by our city. Shannon shares the pride we have in Portsmouth and the disappointment we feel in the direction our city is going. As Mayor, Shannon will work collaboratively to get Portsmouth moving back in the right direction.

Service to Country

While serving in the United States Navy, Shannon graduated from the Naval School of Health Sciences and worked at the Portsmouth Naval Medical Center. He continued his education, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree from Norfolk State University. As Mayor, Shannon would work to encourage more collaboration between the military and our city.

Community Service

Shannon is dedicated to helping our community through his participation and leadership in many civic and charitable organizations. Having served as President of the Churchland Rotary Club, the Portsmouth Partnership and the Lefcoe Alumni Association, Shannon has been able to give back to the community and encourage collaboration with schools, neighborhoods and businesses throughout our city.

Additionally, he has been a positive role model for youth of our community by coaching youth soccer and football in Parkview and serving as a mentor with the Friends of Portsmouth Juvenile Courts and the Bear Reader Program at Lakeview Elementary School.

Shannon also has served on the Boards of Paul D. Camp Community College, Boys and Girls Club Portsmouth Division, Portsmouth General Hospital Foundation, Volunteer Hampton Roads and served as a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity in Suffolk and Portsmouth.

Family

Shannon is a dedicated husband and father. He and his wife, Paula, just celebrated their 25th anniversary, and they are the proud parents of two successful adult children: Denzel who serves in the United States Army, and Alana who just graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University.

Having been raised by a single mother, Shannon knows the challenges faced by families of limited means, and he is living proof that those challenges can be overcome with faith, perseverance and an unwavering belief that a better future is possible.

Portsmouth’s Future

Shannon knows that a better future is possible for Portsmouth. His philosophy of team collaboration and consensus building will bring our city back together again. As our Mayor, he will work to reestablish trust in our city government by encouraging citizen participation and creating a collaborative environment.

Shannon knows that we are better together. He will build relationships and create partnerships to find forward thinking solutions to our city’s financial constraints. He will stop the exodus of our seasoned city workers by encouraging an environment of respect and open communication. He will address our limited tax base by increasing business development and work with our educational institutions to help our citizens get the skills needed to secure better paying jobs at those companies. The growth in business will increase our tax base thereby limiting the tax burden on our citizens while providing needed revenues to keep our neighborhoods safe, educate our children and increase the quality of life for all of our citizens.