Jack Turnwald, candidate for the Holly Springs Town Council

Kristen Johnson
·6 min read

Nine people are on the ballot for three open seats on the Holly Springs Town Council.

Five candidates are running for two four-year seats: incumbent Danielle Hewetson, who was appointed in January; Jack Turnwald; Brian Dennis; Staci Almquist; and Chris Deshazor.

Candidates Annie Drees, Scoop Green, Travis Groo and Brian Norman are running for a two-year seat.

Early voting in the Nov. 7 election runs through Nov. 4. For information about polling sites, voter and Election Day information, residents can visit the state Board of Elections, ncsbe.gov, or the Wake County Board of Elections, wake.gov.

Name: Jack Turnwald

Age: 43

Residence: Holly Springs

Occupation/Employer: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Consulting/Humancentric LLC

Education: B.A., English/Psychology from Miami University. M.A.T., English from Duke University. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Certification from Cornell University. Diversity Movement Leaders Intensive certificate. Fulbright Scholar, South Korea.

Political or civic experience: I spent 19 years as a high school educator working for the success of every family and student I encountered before my transition to entrepreneurship and consulting. Currently, I am on the Board of WakeEd Partnership, an education nonprofit that serves Wake County Public Schools. I also serve on the Advocacy Committee for our PTA and am the parent representative for our school Equity Team. As a community organizer, I’ve led community conversations and facilitated listening sessions with policymakers. I’ve done advocacy work around a variety of issues that has resulted in a deep knowledge of policy and relationship-building with elected officials at every level of government. This is important as many issues that come through the Town Council require advocating to or collaborating with another area of government.

Campaign website: www.Jack4hs.com

Tell us why you’re running to serve Holly Springs. Why should voters trust you in this position?

I have always been politically involved in my community, so I attended council meetings and learned about the issues in Holly Springs. The town’s failure to join the county’s non-discrimination ordinance became a catalyst. In sharing my experiences as an LGBTQIA+ resident, many others voiced feeling a lack of understanding about their lived experiences and limited inclusion in local government. While organizing to address the NDO, I learned about rapid development impacting water access and quality, housing inequity, traffic congestion, transit needs, issues related to the dump, a communication and transparency gap, and historical structures community members want to preserve. It became apparent our town issues would be well served if potential solutions utilized an equity lens. As far as trust goes, that is earned. I can promise I will reach into the community for solutions, research thoroughly to make informed decisions, and put energy into building relationships to serve all.

What is the town of Holly Springs doing right to manage growth? What could be improved?

The town increased staff with growth to meet the needs of departments and recently made shifts so the town manager can offer more competitive salaries. There have also been focused efforts to gather input and develop our downtown in a way that appeals to residents and maintains local charm. We could improve by giving more long term thought to connectivity, as opposed to siloed development, and balancing infrastructure needs for rapid growth. Additionally, the current council did not adopt our housing affordability study which indicates we have failed to diversify our housing market for generational living. We need first-time home buyer opportunities, middle-income housing, areas to age in place, rentals for new graduates, and housing that ensures everyone who contributes to our community can also live here. We should also examine intra-town transit options that could reduce single-car traffic as we work to upgrade our infrastructure.

If elected, how would you approach an existing or new issue differently from your fellow council members?

Our town water supply comes from the Cape Fear River via Harnett Regional Water Treatment Plant. Our current council successfully partnered with other municipalities to secure additional water resources via a Sanford facility expansion. This ensures that our current growth won’t strain our water capacity. However, there has been little to no transparency regarding water quality concerns. An advisory this summer recommended not eating more than one fish a year from the Cape Fear due to forever-chemical contamination. Additionally, the GAC filters in Lillington that help remove said chemicals are offline for upgrades until approximately July of 2024. While there is currently no federal or state requirement that residents be notified, I think it is better to be transparent, and provide residents with information to make informed choices about water consumption and in-home filters. I would also advocate for more extensive testing to protect residents from potential harm.

How do you plan to make local government in Holly Springs more inclusive and equitable for all residents in the town who feel their voices are underrepresented?

Holly Springs is one of three municipalities that has failed to join the Wake County non-discrimination ordinance. I have advocated for our council to adopt this ordinance for two years and would champion moving forward with it were I to be elected. Additionally, rapid growth has resulted in the displacement of longtime residents. I would collaborate with our county commissioners to utilize programs where residents can get down payment and home repair assistance. And I would look at areas where longtime residents lack sidewalks connecting them to town amenities and parks and thus cannot safely access them. Further, we have several town facilities that require coming in person to reserve and typically at a rate of $50 an hour. Online registration would make this more accessible and some space should be reserved for community organizations to use for free. Ultimately, I believe in utilizing an equity lens and inviting community input.

Please list any endorsements you’ve received.

  • Wake County Democratic Party

  • Equality NC

  • LGBTQ Victory Fund

  • Raleigh Regional Association of Realtors

  • Moms Demand Action does not make endorsements but has recognized me with their Gun Sense Candidate distinction.

If there is anything you would like to add, please do so here.

I believe there is an opportunity to move our town in the direction of greater connection, collaboration and community care that would uplift the spirit of why many people made Holly Springs home. I am grateful to every resident who has reached out and expressed how our campaign has inspired them or uplifted the needs of their family. I would treat the privilege of serving our community just as I treated the privilege of teaching in the classroom, by being truly invested in finding resources for everyone in our community to be successful, safe and included.