I am Joel Gill and today I'm officially announcing my candidacy for the Democratic nomination for Mississippi's Third Congressional district.
After 38 years of serving the people across the district through active participation in the live cattle market as a dealer, I am throwing my hat in the ring to offer myself for further service, this time to all the people of the district, not just those in agriculture.
Educated in public schools in Jackson, including Bailey Jr. High, Callaway High School, Millsaps College, and continued learning of much more through life experiances after academia, I am prepared to address the issues of concern to Mississippians.
My business experiance began at age 20 managing a service station with six employees in Rankin Co. and extends to my current position as managing partner and CFO for a MS corporation grossing tens of millions of dollars annually.
My political experiance began in Jackson seeking the office of City Commissioner way back in 1973 when Jackson had a Mayor and only two commissioners, to election in 1989 as an Alderman of the Town of Pickens and reelected in 2005 to the same position where my duties include oversight of and closley working with the Police department to make sure these men and women have the proper training and equipment to get the job done. I am also recognized by the Mississippi Municipal League as a certified municipal official.
Other experiance on the local level consists of service to the Pickens United Methodist Church as a delegate to the North MS Annual Conference in the 1984, choir director since 1996, member of the Board of Trustees, member of the Pastor-Parish relations committee, and Chairman of the Administrative Council, a position I currently hold.
At the county level, I am a member of the Preservation Singers, a community choir, member of the Board of Directors for three organizations, the Cattlemen's Association, the Arts Council, and the Chamber of Commerce, receiving the Chamber's Shing Star Award for 2007 as well as being a regular contributing reporter for our local paper.
On the state level, I serve on the MS Beef Council a position I was holding when the current executive vice-president Sammy Blossom was hired a number of years ago. I also serve as President of the MS Livestock Markets Association, and have served as R-CALF USA's , a national cattleman's organization, MS membership chair.
On the national level, I currently serve as the R-CALF USA National Membership Co-Chair and the R-CALF USA National Checkoff (Beef It's what's for dinner) Chair.
I was a member of the CAFTA fact finding team n 2005, participated in the Beef Checkoff Revision Task Force in 2006 and addressed the Australian Beef Association in Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia this past August (2007).
Many issues confronting our nation today include dealing with illegal immigration, rampant Free Trade Agreements, mending the social security system so it will be sound and secure, continue funding our troops in harms way while working to bring them home in an orderly fashion that will honor not only their service, but the sacrifices made by their families here at home during their absence as well, revamping the income tax into a simple equal tax that will be fair to all, putting educations focus on the classroom rather than edicts from Washington, DC, ensuring access to quality affordable health care, and putting the nation ahead of the individual parties to move for good government rather than petty partisan politics.
Each of these issues is complex and deserves to be addressed in a more serious manner than a 30 or 60 second glitzy commercial. Everyone knows what the problems are, the difficulty arises as we meet the "We've never don it that way before" mentality that stifiles changes and improvements.
With the help of all who claim to support the man not the party, party loyalists, and you in particular inviting your friends, neighbors, relatives, and acqaintances to lend their
support in this effort, I look forward to serving all the people of the Third District as their newest Congressman.
Joel Gill for Congress
All Beef !! No Bull !!
"I've dealt with it all my life so Washington DC will be little change to my normal routine. Once you know how to spot it, you can avoid it and get the job done for you, the people of Mississippi's third district.
