ASK GREG ANYTHING.
Q: what are your top 3 priorities as mayor of wrightsville beach?
A: I will prioritize protecting our coast and waterways, mitigating the inevitable risks of a warming climate, and restoring transparency and fairness in our local government.
Q: what is your political party affiliation?
A: Independent/unaffiliated. Always have been, always will be. Who has time to party when there’s so much work to be done?
Q: What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?
A: Responsiveness, transparency, and a genuine interest in building a better community.
Q: What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?
A: Mayor of Wrightsville Beach is a unique position because it is a leadership role responsible for representing not only the people who live here but also the coastal resources supporting our thriving tourism economy. We deserve a mayor committed to maintaining and protecting our surrounding coastal resources while providing a welcoming experience that is safe, accessible, and enjoyable for all residents and visitors. It would be a privilege to serve and uphold the responsibilities of such a rewarding position.
Q: What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about? why?
A: I’m passionate about upholding the Constitution. As a lawyer, I fight for clients who have been taken advantage of by people in positions of power every day. In a small government like ours, a deep and abiding allegiance to the rule of law is of the utmost importance.
Q: Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow and why?
A: Henry A. Wallace, the former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and Vice President under President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Wallace spent his entire career in federal government saving communities in the post-Great Depression era by installing new programs to boost the economy. He was outspoken about the issues he cared about, especially equal treatment for all people, even when that meant crossing party lines or causing a ruckus.
Q: Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?
A: Everyone should watch Neil DeGrasse Tyson’s Cosmos series (Fox) and the recently released nature documentary Our Planet (Netflix). Both shows provide an incredible visual experience along with deeply informative discussions on human nature, scientific discovery, and the potential for a better future. I'd also recommend reading Enlightenment Now by Steven Pinker (audiobook available). If we’re really going to be honest about what it takes to protect and maintain our civilization, we need a greater understanding and appreciation of how we’re connected to the natural environment and each other. In politics today, there are many issues that are partisan issues rather than actual issues. When we refuse to get lost in talking points, we can work together to enact affordable, practical solutions.
Q: What is your favorite book? Why?
A: Tomorrowland: Our Staggering Journey from Science Fiction to Science Fact by Steven Kotler. We assume so many groundbreaking technologies are only science fiction, when in reality, people are out there right now inventing products and systems that will have transformational impacts on our lives. We just need the political will and public incentive to speed up progress and make these developments more efficient and affordable.
Q: What legacy would you like to leave?
A: I want to set the example for how to develop a self-reliant coastal community. It’s my goal to ensure Wrightsville Beach is resilient and adaptable in the face of an uncertain future and ever-changing climate.
Q: What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?
A: 9/11. I was a 13 year old in 8th grade. As a kid, I didn’t understand the gravity of what had happened at first, but there was a real change in how adults felt about everything -- all of a sudden everyone was talking about war and fearing for our safety. There was a shift from growing up happy-go-lucky to entering adulthood in the midst of serious national difficulties and insecurity.
Q: What was your very first job? How long did you have it?
A: I worked at Johnny B’s, my family’s Italian-American restaurant, washing dishes and waiting tables all through high school. I believe everyone should work in customer service at least once in their lives, as this was where I learned the value of always putting the client and their needs first. It also taught me how to work under pressure and respond to situations that are sometimes out of my control. Remember, if a person is nice to you but mean to the waiter, they are not a nice person.
Q: What happened on your most awkward date?
A: In middle school, it was a double date but none of us had our driver’s licenses yet, so my mom had to drive us all to the movies. Looking back, there was no possible good outcome! We stayed friends for years, and that’s all our parents could talk about any time we were hanging out.
Q: What is your favorite holiday?
A: The Fourth of July. It’s one of the few holidays when literally everyone around you is celebrating the same thing -- plus it’s in the middle of the summer and I live on the beach!
Q: If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?
A: Buzz Lightyear.
Q: What is your favorite thing in your home or apartment?
A: My dog, Kona. She’s always happy to see me and nothing beats coming home to her at the end of a long day.
Q: What was the last song that got stuck in your head?
A: “Party in the USA” by Miley Cyrus.
Q: What is something that has been a struggle in your life?
A: Student loans.
Q: A mayor is a leader in his or her city. What does that mean to you?
A: It means having a personal connection to your neighbors and a genuine concern for their well-being. To enhance good government, we must put forth policies that make it easier for people to pursue happiness, succeed, and flourish.
Q: Mayors have many responsibilities, which vary from city to city. Which of those do you personally consider the most important in your city?
A: While in many towns with a town manager the mayor serves as a figurehead, I want to take a more active approach to initiating policy considerations and future planning goals that might previously have been ignored or otherwise shut down. We’re at a tipping point. What we do now is going to define what’s going to be here in the next 30 years, and we need to invest wisely, plan accordingly, and really consider what type of community we want to have. The town has a lot to gain by building stronger relationships with nearby communities and schools, such as the city of Wilmington, the University of North Carolina in Wilmington, and Cape Fear Community College.
Q: If the mayor in your city is a member of the city council and there’s a city manager appointed to handle the day-to-day administration of the city government, what do you believe should be the mayor’s top priority in office?
A: For a quality mayor-town manager relationship, there should be a thorough understanding of shared goals in order to enhance good government. We must implement and enforce ordinances in the way they were intended and work together to make adjustments, amendments, and responses to any and all challenges and conflicts. My top priority will be to restore transparency and fairness to our local government.
Q: What do you love most about your city?
A: The people, the atmosphere, and the shared appreciation everyone has for just being able to be here. We have a unique opportunity to create an immediate movement towards a better future and a friendlier, more welcoming community.
Q: What do you perceive to be your city’s greatest challenges over the next decade?
A: Our ability to respond and adapt to the increasingly damaging effects of severe storms and hurricanes.
Q: What do you believe is the ideal relationship between your city and the state government?
A: The town has powers because the state gives it the authority to enforce local laws. There must be a working relationship to address issues with how state laws affect the ability of the municipality to operate in its greatest capacity.
Q: What do you believe is the ideal relationship between your city and the federal government?
A: It’s our town government’s responsibility to advocate for our citizens and to collaborate with federal agencies like FEMA to better prepare for and respond to future hurricanes and disasters, the Dept. of Transportation to plan and develop sustainable infrastructure for public roads and navigable waterways, and the EPA for guidance and assistance enforcing strict pollution control programs which ensure drinking water is safe, and to restore and maintain oceans, watersheds, and their aquatic ecosystems to protect human health, support economic and recreational activities, and provide healthy habitat for fish, plants, and wildlife.