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Meet the City Council
The City Council acts as the legislative body in establishing policy and law for the City of Graham. The Mayor and Council members are chosen through city-wide nonpartisan elections. The Mayor, elected to a two-year term, serves as the presiding officer at City Council meetings. The four Council members are elected to staggered four-year terms. The board appoints a professional city manager, who provides policy advice, directs the daily operations of city government, handles personnel functions, and is responsible for preparing the budget.
Jennifer Talley
Mayor
Mayor Jennifer Talley, mother, business woman and graduate from Elon University, returns to serve on the Graham City Council after 10 years. She and her husband own and operate EP Gates Construction and are dedicated to revitalizing and the historic preservation of downtown Graham. She looks forward to working for the citizens of Graham.
Ricky Hall
Mayor Pro Tem
Ricky Hall spent the past 25 years in Local Government as a GIS Specialist and Tax Mapping Specialist. He has 20 years experience of serving on various local government boards in North Carolina and Virginia. He moved to Graham in 2004 with his wife Judy. He is now retired and enjoys traveling, woodworking, and attending bluegrass music festivals.
Bobby Chin
Council Member
Bobby Chin, a graduate of Louisiana State University and Florida Institute of Technology, was commissioned as a 2LT in 1972 and spent 30 years in the US Army (Active/Reserve) and retired as a Colonel in 2002. He spent 22 years working for Battelle Memorial Institute (a private nonprofit science and technology company) headquartered in Columbus, OH. He has experience as a transportation officer, a logistician, a cost-benefit analyst, an operations research analyst, and a senior research scientist. He moved to Graham in 2019 with his wife Karen. He is now actively involved with ALCOVETS. He looks forward to serving the citizens of Graham as a councilman.
Bonnie Whitaker
Council Member
Bonnie Whitaker was born and raised in Raleigh, N.C. and attended the University of North Carolina at Wilmington on a volleyball scholarship. She joined the U.S Air Force in 1985 where she served 25 years working electronics and avionics on various aircraft and also as an Aircraft Production Superintendent. She has experience in production, planning, scheduling, contracting and quality assurance. She continues to serve the federal government full time since her retirement from the military in 2010, as a quality assurance specialist. She moved to Graham in 2015 because of its small town charm and welcoming feel. She looks forward to serving the people of Graham.
Joey Parsons
Council Member
Joey Parsons, an Alamance County native, moved to Graham in 1993 and works as a claims representative for National General Insurance. He has known his wife, Angela, since high school and they two children. In their spare time, the couple enjoys time at the beach and camping with family. He was interested in serving on City Council to be able to show his support for our Police and First Responders by providing them with the funding, personnel, equipment, and training they need to keep our City safe. He values the needs and concerns of the citizens of Graham and realizes every decision the Council makes should have a positive impact on the residents. He wants to ensure a plan for responsible growth and development while being proactive and determining what is best for existing communities, what the roads can safely handle, the capacity of our schools, and the impact on infrastructure. This will allow Graham to determine what is best for our residents, not outside developers.