Russellville Mayor David Reed Grissom has announced that he will seek a third term to the city’s highest office in the August 25, 2020, municipal election.
Grissom, a businessman, was first elected mayor in 2012. The 1990 Russellville High School graduate represented District 5 on the Russellville City Council from 2008-2012.
Grissom cited past success and several ongoing projects that he wants to see finished as the driving forces behind a reelection campaign.
“There are many positive things taking place in and around Russellville,” Grissom said. “We continue to add new jobs, continue to improve our infrastructure, continue to improve our city services, and we continue to redevelop our downtown district.”
During his terms as mayor, Grissom has seen the addition of over 1,200 new jobs in the city. He quickly praises local and state officials and their willingness to work together in enabling the city to land additional jobs in Russellville.
“Our existing industries in Russellville continue to add jobs each year and this has led to record lows in unemployment for the city. We are thankful for all of our existing industrial partners and are thankful for their continued success,” Grissom said.
“One of the main things I campaigned on eight years ago, and it continues to be just as important today, is that we all work together as a team to accomplish what we want for the city. I think we have built relationships with people across the state and country that will help us moving forward,” Grissom added.
Grissom and the Russellville City Council actively pursued grant funding that has helped the city complete more than $9.3 million in grant projects, most paid through state and federal funds since elected mayor in 2012. That figure also included more than $1.2 million in Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) Sidewalk Projects in the Downtown District.
The Russellville Commercial Historic District was also listed on the National Register of Historic Places by the U.S. Department of the Interior on January 19, 2019.
“It is important to have safe and stable transportation and infrastructure in place,” Grissom said. “Our work with the city council and the state has been a tremendous asset that has helped us do many much-needed projects throughout Russellville.” Grissom is the son of Judy Keeton Grissom and the late Bob Grissom. He is married to Melissa Fuller Grissom, an art teacher at Russellville High School. They have one daughter, Kate Reed Grissom, who is 14 years old and will be in the tenth grade at Russellville High School.
He received a B.S. degree in Marketing and graduated magna cum laude from the University of North Alabama in 1994. Since that time, he has been involved in numerous business endeavors in northwest Alabama.
Grissom is a lifetime member of Russellville Masonic Lodge #371, a member of Scottish Rite 32nd Degree Valley of Birmingham, Cahaba Shrine, Huntsville, and a member of the Franklin County Shrine Club.
He and his family are members of South Side Baptist Church in Russellville.
