Alan Reed enters Mount Vernon City Council race as write-in candidate

Mount Vernon city resident Alan Reed has announced his candidacy for a seat on Mount Vernon City Council. He will be seeking an at-large seat on council as a write-in candidate in the Nov. 4 election.

Growing up on a farm in Putnam County in Northwest Ohio, Reed came to Mount Vernon in 1985 as a student at Mount Vernon Nazarene University and made the city his new home.

“Right away, Mount Vernon felt like home to me,” he said. “After visiting just a couple times, I couldn’t wait to get back. I knew that this is where I wanted to spend my life.”

Reed received an associate’s degree in business administration at Northwestern Business College in Lima and a bachelor’s degree in communications at MVNU. His professional career after college saw him take positions at three radio stations and three local newspapers, most recently at the Mount Vernon News. 

“I got to meet a lot of great people when working at the News. It was a pleasure to develop some strong relationships with city and county officials and with a number of local organizations,” said Reed. “These years were definitely a rewarding and growing experience. And I look forward to being a strong representative on council in serving these fine folks in our community.”

While Reed intends to bring common sense, conservative values to city council, he also stressed the importance of addressing topics of public safety and zoning concerns.

“I know that council is currently pursuing projects regarding public safety within the city, specifically sidewalk projects on South Division Street and Old Mansfield Road. And that’s great,” said Reed. “I want to see that safety continues to be a priority on council’s agenda.”

Reed is currently employed as a content writer at Hibu and is also an adjunct instructor at MVNU. Outside of work, Reed is an active member of Lakeholm Church of the Nazarene. He resides at 603 E. Chestnut St. with his wife, Vicky, who is employed at MVNU. The couple has three grown children and six grandchildren.