Albemarle native Graham Hatley, 23, is the Republican candidate for the Albemarle City Council District 3 seat.
Hatley is a 2002 graduate of Albemarle High School and is the son of local dentist Dr. Bill Hatley and Kay Hatley.
He has taken courses at Savannah College of Art and Design and is enrolled at UNC Charlotte, where he hopes to complete a degree in graphic design sometime next year. He also has plans to return to Savannah to complete his studies in industrial design.
He works as a buyer, seller and broker of classic cars with his personal business, Southern Classic, that he started about four years ago. He is involved with Downtown Albemarle Development LLC and the Albemarle Downtown Development Corporation’s development and planning board.
Hatley is engaged to Allison Barbee of Norwood and has two dogs, Leonardo DiVinci, a miniature greyhound, and Prada, a chihuahua. Other personal interests include playing the organ, working on classic cars and traveling.
“Traveling is an amazing way to experience something new and get new ideas to bring back to help your own community,” he said.
Hatley is interested in encouraging more young people to become involved in the community through politics and volunteering.
“We’ve got a beautiful, beautiful city but many people here don’t seem to embrace new ideas and that’s why it’s important to me to get more young people involved.
It’s important to look down the road and I’m standing up for Albemarle citizens 10 and 20 years from now,” he said.
Albemarle Downtown Development Corporation Executive Director Vicki Coggins has known the Hatley family for many years and is pleased to see a young person running for office.
“I have watched Graham grow up. His dad has been my dentist for many years. He’s an extremely talented young man and I am happy that he’s exhibited an interest in our community,” Coggins said. “I commend him for his interest in politics and wish we had more young people who were interested in being involved.”
-Kim Kinnecom
