John H. Eaves, who is currently serving his third four-year term as the chair of the Fulton Count Commission in Georgia, has decided to run Mayor of Atlanta. As head of the commission, Eaves is responsible for a dynamic county with the highest population in the state – 1.1 million residents and 14 municipalities, which include Atlanta. He was re-elected as County Chairman in 2014 with 63 percent of the vote and has been instrumental in developing a bold transportation plan, transforming the criminal justice system, presiding over the renewal of Grady Memorial Hospital, and improving the conditions at the Fulton County Jail. Eaves also reduced business and property taxes and led initiatives designed to eliminate HIV/AIDS in the metro Atlanta area.
His run for Mayor represents Eaves’s desire to continue fighting for what is important to Atlanta families. “The city of Atlanta deserves transparency, and I want to set the tone.”
Eaves graduated from Morehouse College in 1984 and went on to earn a Master’s Degree from Yale University. He also received a PhD from the University of South Carolina. He taught at Kennesaw State University and served as Assistant Dean at Davidson College in North Carolina. Among his academic honors are the American Marshal Memorial Fellowship and two Fulbright Scholarships.
A resident of Atlanta and proud and devoted father of two children, Isaac and Keturah. Eaves was very close to his grandfather who is from Jamaica.
We asked about his Jamaican roots, Eaves said, “My grandfather, Cecil Reginald Eaves, grew up in Maypen, Jamaica. He was born in 1884. He lived in Maypen during his childhood but he had a longing to be a doctor as an adult. At the Age of 17, however, he left his homeland and journeyed to the United States to go to medical school. He eventually settled in Jacksonville, Florida and married Gladys Collins in 1918. They had 13 children, 10 of whom survived to adulthood, all 10 children got a college education. My grandfather converted to Judaism in 1913, and he served as the lead minister of a Black Jewish congregation from 1940-1980.While my grandfather’s dream to be a doctor was never realized, he lived a long purpose-driven life for 99 years. He was well respected in the community. He passed in 1993. I was very close to my grandfather. He taught me great values and principles often embraced by my Jamaican heritage; namely, respect for education, a strong work ethic, and love of family.”
Photo Source: John Eaves for Atlanta Mayor
