Between his job and Concord City Council, Councilman Randy Grimes said he relishes simple times with his family.
“Generally, my weekends consist of family time,” he send. “The calendar tends to get very crowded between Monday and Friday. We take in a movie (on the weekend). It’s the same things everybody else does.”
Grimes is running unopposed for Concord’s District 7 seat in the upcoming election.
On a Wednesday in mid-September, Grimes was headed to have lunch with his daughter, Emily, at her school for her 10th birthday.
His daughter is a fan of history and the family is planning a visit to some areas in the Northeast.
“My daughter is into history,” he said. “She likes Washington D.C. We’ve got a trip planned to Williamsburg, Va. My daughter has already been to more places than I ever was when I was a kid.”
Grimes said his daughter’s interest in history may be a bit hereditary.
“I am a history fan of the United States,” he said. “The Civil War — you can’t live down here and not grip some interest in the Civil War.”
Grimes also called his roll on City Council his “hobby.”
Grimes first joined the council for a one-year term when Mayor Scott Padgett, then a councilman, was elected mayor. Grimes then won the following election for the District 7 seat.
“This has sort of become my hobby — between traveling and a 10-year-old. There’s very little time,” Grimes said. “I’m not a golfer. Unless you have the time to really work on it, it’s really tough.”
Jim Kent met Grimes 10 years ago, when their wives were not only working together but were each pregnant with their first child. The two also share a certain law enforcement background connection, Kent said.
Grimes attended the FBI National Academy for a previous occupation.
He is employed with Solectron Corporation as a corporate Environmental, Heath and Safety Manager responsible for 16 manufacturing sites in the United States and Canada.
“I think he’s really committed to this area and really loves it here,” Kent said. “He wants his family to live in a place where they do the right thing.”
— Eric C. Deines
