CMCC PAC Questionnaire
Q1 Candidate Information:
Name: Guang Ming Whitley
Occupation/Employer: Chief Operating Officer - Whitley Household
Highest degree earned and name of institution: J.D. University of Chicago Law School
Other elected offices you have held or sought: N/A
Current community involvement and professional affiliations: Deacon, Mt. Pleasant Presbyterian Church
Q2 Why do you want to serve on Mount Pleasant Town Council?
I love Mount Pleasant, and I want this town to remain a wonderful place to live, work, and play. I would bring a fresh voice and perspective to the Town Council. Mount Pleasant is facing enormous growth, which needs to be carefully planned and managed to keep our community safe and beautiful.
Q3 How has your prior experience prepared you to serve on Town Council?
I hold a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Southern California and a J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School. I then taught at the University of Chicago and practiced antitrust and intellectual property law in Los Angeles before becoming Chief Operating Officer of the Whitley Household.
I have served as President of the Girls State Alumnae Foundation since 2010. I also serve as a deacon at Mount Pleasant Presbyterian Church. As a writer and vocalist, I am a strong supporter of the arts and write features for the Recorded A Cappella Review Board.
These roles provide me with a unique skill-set that qualify me to represent the citizens of Mount Pleasant on Town Council.
Q4 What do you believe are the three most critical issues for Mount Pleasant now? How will you work with the Mayor
and other members of Council to address those issues?
1. Growth
2. Infrastructure
3. Community Building
I would work to build consensus and find solutions that preserve Mount Pleasant's special character, while continuing to support economic growth.
Q5 Do you believe that use of moratoriums supports balanced, sustainable growth?
Moratoriums, subject to applicable law and property rights, can be effective in allowing Town Council to fully evaluate projects in the pipeline and make determinations as to the shape of future developments. They should be used carefully and only when necessary.
Q6 Mount Pleasant approved a significant increase in impact fees this year. How will you evaluate their
effectiveness?
If the impact fees serve to bolster the infrastructure to support the related development, then I would consider them to be effective.
Q7 Do you believe Mount Pleasant voters should be allowed to decide at the ballot whether to select their council
representatives by single member district or continue operating under the at-large system?
If the Mount Pleasant voters generate a petition with enough signatures to place the issue on the ballot, then it should be on the ballot.
Personally, I believe the at-large system is more effective because it requires Town Council members to represent the city as a whole, not individual neighborhoods.
Q8 Are you concerned about the rising cost of housing in the region? What should Mount Pleasant do to help
address housing affordability?
Yes. Rising costs in Mount Pleasant make it challenging for public servants and young families to afford a home. I would look for ways to encourage and incentivize development that allows people of a broader demographic to live in Mount Pleasant, particularly to keep our public servants and teachers in Mount Pleasant.
Q9 Traffic is made worse by sprawl and separating housing from job centers. Do you support higher density housing
in targeted areas identified through comprehensive planning as a strategy to combat traffic?
Higher density housing does not necessarily reduce traffic. Smart development is contextually specific. It requires careful consideration of local geography, current traffic conditions, and expected changes in demographics.
Q10 What is your vision for the Charleston region over the next 20 years? What one measure should Mount Pleasant
enact now to help achieve that vision?
My vision is of Mount Pleasant as a safe and beautiful place to live, work, and play. I support community building, and one simple, tangible way to do that is to increase funding for the arts.
Q11 What one fact would you like all voters in the Town of Mount Pleasant to know about you as a candidate?
I am a mother of four children seeking to do what is best for the Town of Mount Pleasant.
Name: Guang Ming Whitley
Occupation/Employer: Chief Operating Officer - Whitley Household
Highest degree earned and name of institution: J.D. University of Chicago Law School
Other elected offices you have held or sought: N/A
Current community involvement and professional affiliations: Deacon, Mt. Pleasant Presbyterian Church
Q2 Why do you want to serve on Mount Pleasant Town Council?
I love Mount Pleasant, and I want this town to remain a wonderful place to live, work, and play. I would bring a fresh voice and perspective to the Town Council. Mount Pleasant is facing enormous growth, which needs to be carefully planned and managed to keep our community safe and beautiful.
Q3 How has your prior experience prepared you to serve on Town Council?
I hold a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Southern California and a J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School. I then taught at the University of Chicago and practiced antitrust and intellectual property law in Los Angeles before becoming Chief Operating Officer of the Whitley Household.
I have served as President of the Girls State Alumnae Foundation since 2010. I also serve as a deacon at Mount Pleasant Presbyterian Church. As a writer and vocalist, I am a strong supporter of the arts and write features for the Recorded A Cappella Review Board.
These roles provide me with a unique skill-set that qualify me to represent the citizens of Mount Pleasant on Town Council.
Q4 What do you believe are the three most critical issues for Mount Pleasant now? How will you work with the Mayor
and other members of Council to address those issues?
1. Growth
2. Infrastructure
3. Community Building
I would work to build consensus and find solutions that preserve Mount Pleasant's special character, while continuing to support economic growth.
Q5 Do you believe that use of moratoriums supports balanced, sustainable growth?
Moratoriums, subject to applicable law and property rights, can be effective in allowing Town Council to fully evaluate projects in the pipeline and make determinations as to the shape of future developments. They should be used carefully and only when necessary.
Q6 Mount Pleasant approved a significant increase in impact fees this year. How will you evaluate their
effectiveness?
If the impact fees serve to bolster the infrastructure to support the related development, then I would consider them to be effective.
Q7 Do you believe Mount Pleasant voters should be allowed to decide at the ballot whether to select their council
representatives by single member district or continue operating under the at-large system?
If the Mount Pleasant voters generate a petition with enough signatures to place the issue on the ballot, then it should be on the ballot.
Personally, I believe the at-large system is more effective because it requires Town Council members to represent the city as a whole, not individual neighborhoods.
Q8 Are you concerned about the rising cost of housing in the region? What should Mount Pleasant do to help
address housing affordability?
Yes. Rising costs in Mount Pleasant make it challenging for public servants and young families to afford a home. I would look for ways to encourage and incentivize development that allows people of a broader demographic to live in Mount Pleasant, particularly to keep our public servants and teachers in Mount Pleasant.
Q9 Traffic is made worse by sprawl and separating housing from job centers. Do you support higher density housing
in targeted areas identified through comprehensive planning as a strategy to combat traffic?
Higher density housing does not necessarily reduce traffic. Smart development is contextually specific. It requires careful consideration of local geography, current traffic conditions, and expected changes in demographics.
Q10 What is your vision for the Charleston region over the next 20 years? What one measure should Mount Pleasant
enact now to help achieve that vision?
My vision is of Mount Pleasant as a safe and beautiful place to live, work, and play. I support community building, and one simple, tangible way to do that is to increase funding for the arts.
Q11 What one fact would you like all voters in the Town of Mount Pleasant to know about you as a candidate?
I am a mother of four children seeking to do what is best for the Town of Mount Pleasant.