Hunter announces independent bid for Draper seat on Board of Supervisors
Allison Haller Hunter has announced that she is running as an Independent for the Board of Supervisors, Draper District. Allison grew up in Pulaski County, graduating from Pulaski County High School in 1976. From there, she received her bachelor’s degree at Furman University in Greenville, SC and settled in Richmond, Virginia with her husband John and their four daughters. Her dad, Dr. Tommy Haller was the local dentist in town and still resides in Pulaski County with his wife, Lillian.
Although she had a very successful career in Richmond, Allison decided to return to her roots of Pulaski County in 2012 and currently serves as the Executive Director of the YMCA of Pulaski County. She accepted the position when the Y was experiencing tough times and with the help of the community, was able to turn the facility around with added programs and services for all residents of Pulaski.
As a Claytor Lake and Draper District resident, her vision upon returning to Pulaski was to start a free learn-to-swim program for all 2nd graders at the Y. With the help of the school system, she started with one elementary school back in 2014 and has grown the program to include all elementary schools, teaching over 350 2nd graders yearly. In 2016, a boater safety class was also added to these lessons with the help of a partnership with Friends of Claytor Lake (FOCL) and the Coast Guard Auxiliary. If asked, Allison admits that “this was one of her proudest accomplishments to date in her career.” In addition to her work at the Pulaski Y, Allison also serves on various committees in the County including the Pulaski County Proud committee through PCPC, the Healthy Citizens Action Team committee (HCAT), First Steps-CFNRV (Early Childhood Initiative), and now serves on the Advisory committee for the Calfee Training School project in downtown Pulaski.
But Allison is now ready to continue giving back to the community and seeks the nomination on the Board of Supervisors for the Draper District. Running as an independent with no party affiliation, Allison feels that it is important to run a “grass roots” campaign and spend much of her campaign time listening to her constituents on what challenges they see in the community and how she can work together with them to find solutions. With the current incumbent Dean Pratt stepping down, she feels this is the right time to “step up to the plate and make the community a better place to live, work and grow.” But she is quick to add that “this can’t be done alone; I am ready to represent the best interests of my constituents, but I need their support as I move forward with my campaign.” While her focus will be on education matters for the county, she also wants to ensure we are focused on our wonderful local resources found right here in our county including Claytor Lake, Gatewood, Peak Creek and the New River. In addition, she looks for smart growth of jobs in the community not just in the manufacturing arena, but also feels it is important to grow in the areas of Information Technology, Healthcare and Management careers to bring more services back to Pulaski County.
If you are looking for someone with leadership, commitment and passion, then Allison says you’ve made the right decision in voting for her in November. She would appreciate your support as she moves forward with her campaign. You can contact her through email at: Hunter4supervisor@gmail.com, on her Facebook page: Allison Hunter for Supervisor, Draper District or website at: www.Hunter4supervisor.com