Get to know your candidates — Town Council

Thompson: I see Floyd continuing to be a community that supports each other. My vision of Floyd is one where there is growth but in a way that connects and honors the past with a gentle future. The town of Floyd is the center of one of the most beautiful places on earth (in my humble opinion). As we look forward to the future, there will be changes, as there would be anywhere. Being on Town Council allows me to work towards that future, being part of a wonderful team that cares deeply about what Floyd is today and what it will be for the generations after us.

Thompson: Because I began my term as an interim council member, I found myself quietly listening and learning to what Council was working on. I had big shoes to fill following Paul LeMay. Knowing now about projects that are active topics of discussion, I feel that I am in that jumping off point and finding my voice. My connections to the Floyd community run deep and I take them very seriously. I feel that being on Town Council is a pathway for me to continue to learn what the community needs and how to address those needs.

Thompson: I am very passionate about the people of Floyd and what their needs are. Talking to business owners about how they see the future and what their staffing needs could look like. I would like more jobs to be available and, specifically, housing that is available and within reach to those of varying socioeconomic status. I believe these goals can be within reach working together with Town Council.

Thompson: Since joining Town Council, I think I have grown as a person. I like to think of myself as a life long learner. Being involved with current projects and learning about what the other Council members bring to the table has been fascinating and enlightening. I have a deeper understanding of the Council and the role it plays in our wonderful town.

Thompson: I am in a bit of a special position in the town due to my work and connections to the community. I am fortunate to know quite a few people in our town. There are times when, during a conversation, I might say “which hat am I wearing now?”. I love hats and am happy to have quite a collection in the roles that I have in my life.

My priorities include working with the people in Floyd who may be experiences substance and/or alcohol use disorders. Housing and employment are never far from my mind. We are rural but we have amazing resources. Turning a spot light those agencies and helping to get the word out about them is 24/7 for me. As a member of Town Council, I believe it adds to my ability to make the needs I see known and give a voice to those needs.

Thompson: After visiting Floyd in 2000 to see family in Christiansburg, I fell in love. We bought our first home here in 2011. This is not a new story. We’ve all heard it. People visit and fall in love with everything Floyd. However, Floyd was actually in my blood. During COVID-19 I found out that this was not just figuratively but also literally. I am related to the King family and have visited many cousins around the county in their final resting spots.

Floyd is community. I found this out first hand in 2019 when I had breast cancer. The community fed me and my family, they handed me money when they would see me around town (as I cried and tried to give it back to them), I received messages from people I had met once checking on me. Community is what Floyd is to me. Having received such care while going through cancer treatment has embedded in me a drive to do what I can for the people of Floyd. That is why I want to continue to do what I do, serve this community.