John Cherry

John Cherry lives in Flint, Michigan.[1] Cherry earned a bachelor’s degree in natural resources and environment and a master’s degree in public policy from the University of Michigan in 2007 and 2009, respectively.[1][2] His career experience includes owning Flint Coffee Company.[2] Flint served as the vice chair of the Flint Charter Commission.[1][2]

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Video submitted to BallotpediaReleased September 22, 2022

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am married to Teresa Villacorta and have two children, a five-year-old daughter Diana, and a infant son, Benjamin.

I grew up in Clio, Michigan and moved into Flint after graduating from the University of Michigan. I spent nearly a decade working for the Michigan DNR before being elected to the Michigan House of Representatives representing the 49th House District, which comprises the cities of Flushing, Mount Morris and Swartz Creek, and part of the city of Flint, and Flint and Mount Morris townships. My wife and I started a small business, Flint Coffee Company, which is a small coffee roaster that primarily roasts coffee grown by my in-laws on their coffee farm in Peru.

I am a former member of both the United Food and Commercial Workers and the Service Employees International Union. I am an avid outdoorsman, and hold a deep passion for Michigan's outdoors and wild places. In the legislature I have actively fought for worker rights, clean water, protections for families, and conservation.

I am a consistent advocate for solving problems brought to me by my constituents, whether that has been problems faced by manufactured housing residents in Swartz Creek, roads issue from constituents in Mt. Morris, or public safety and water issues confronting constituents in Flint. My focus is setting Genesee County on a path to prosperity.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

We need to bring jobs back to Genesee County. I work every day in Lansing to bring good-paying union jobs back home to Genesee County. I've been a leader in preparing Michigan for the auto industry's move to electric vehicle production, putting in place policies that have secured new auto investments in Michigan and fighting for the redevelopment of Buick City.I'm focused on protecting families. I'm leading the fight against lead in our water and homes. I have introduced legislation to require lead screenings for children, secured millions in water infrastructure funding, and championed a bipartisan bill package to protect mobile home residents from predatory owners. I also secured $2.5 million for 70 new inpatient med-psych beds to serve the greater Flint area.It's important to invest in our communities. I've fought to get critical education funding to Genesee County, including initial funding for a new Beecher High School, historic increased per-pupil funding, and special education funding. I secured $500,000 for the Sylvester Broome Empowerment Village. John has supported millions in increased funding for local road and bridge repair, including I-69 reconstruction and repairs to Hill, Fenton, Elms, Webster, and Luce roads.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

My passion lies in a few areas: conservation, good jobs, prosperous families, and whatever issues are facing the communities that I represent. My job as a public servant are to work on and develop solutions to the biggest problems facing Genesee County.

What legacy would you like to leave?

Public service is not about satisfying your own ego. It's about finding ways to help solve problems facing the people and communities you represent. Every day I drive to Lansing, I fight to solve issues confronting people in our community. I know I can't solve every problem that we face, but I work to help make meaningful change every day.

When I come home to our community and my family every night, I do so with the knowledge that I did what I could to make Genesee County and Michigan a better place to live for my children and all of our kids and grandkids.

John Cherry did not complete [the profile publisher]'s 2020 Candidate Connection survey.