Warm Christmas Wishes To You
The Grainger Family
Love came down at Christmas,
Love all lovely, Love Divine;
Love was born at Christmas;
Star and angels gave the sign.
~Christina Rossetti
As families around the world prepare to gather in Christmas celebration with loved ones this weekend, my family extends our warmest wishes for health, a place to call home and happiness to you.
For our family, 2011 has been a year of losses outweighed by gains, vacations and memories that are priceless and most important–strong reminders that through all that we experience in life, family will always be by your side.
Merry Christmas to all and wishes for a 2012 filled with many blessings!
My Letter of Thanks
“Remember George, no man is a failure who has friends.”
–It’s a Wonderful Life
This week is one that will go into my memory as one of the best and one of the worst. For the past 10 months, my family, friends, neighbors and generous volunteers have joined me in walking the neighborhoods of Surprise, putting out signs, addressing postcards, speaking to voters and sharing the message that I’ve carried throughout this campaign season: Each person in our community matters.
The outcome of Tuesday’s election was not what I had hoped or worked for, but I respect the process and realize it was not my time to be an advocate on Council for my fellow District 3 residents. Though the realization stung, it has allowed me to reflect on the fact I have gained so much more through this process than I ever expected: new friends, encouraging friends who’ve never gotten involved in voting or the process to do so, living out the campaign process with my incredible husband and daughters and most importantly—I found joy along the way.
I thought I couldn’t love Surprise and our neighbors in the community anymore than I already did, but somehow I do. There are no regrets about my campaign: never once did I compromise my character, integrity or belief system by getting involved in some of the negativity that had taken over the campaign season in our city. When some days became trying for me, it always seemed to be a time that a note of encouragement would arrive in the mail or someone would tell me they were inspired by what I was doing.
This campaign wasn’t about me; it was about making Surprise a place of integrity and character for our children. It was about ensuring that the families south of Bell Road had a strong voice advocating for them. It was about teaching my own children that you need to be the change you wish to see. It was about all of you.
District 3 did not lose on Tuesday night. John Williams and I were friends before this election and we will be friends after. I have respect for John, Melissa and their kids and wish them congratulations on his re-election. As we move forward in Surprise, I would highly encourage those who supported me throughout the process to reach out to John to extend your encouragement, support and ideas to him. John is a good man and I look forward to being his constituent, a neighbor he can count on to help him and someone who will not speak ill of him. Let’s ensure that the families of the 3rd District are heard by City Hall through our unification behind John.
To my friends and family, I’m sorry that I have let you down after you gave me countless hours of volunteering and funds to campaign. We fought a campaign filled with character and have nothing to be ashamed of, regardless of the outcome. To my Trevor, thank you for being a shoulder to cry on and a hand that will always hold mine in good times and bad. To my daughters, your hugs and love this week have made this loss bearable. I want to be a mother you can look up to and a mother who will always be there to remind you that I’m proud of you, regardless of any bumps in your life journeys.
This is just one chapter in my story and I look forward with optimism to what lies ahead.
My two greatest success stories
Gratitude: I’ve Already Won
I would thank you from the bottom of my heart, but for you my heart has no bottom. -Anonymous
Today is “the day”: Election Day. I’ve wondered what this day would feel like since January and now that it’s finally here, I am surprised at how calm I feel today. I was up late last night playing over the last year in my mind: all of the people who came and walked neighborhoods with me, people who gave me donations when I knew money was tight for them, people who sent me notes on difficult days to remind me that they believed in me. As I thought back on all of those moments, a feeling of calm and gratitude washed over me. I’ve already won because I’ve experienced what community is truly about this year: community is about helping your neighbor in times of need or reaching out with a hug when they need one most. I am grateful for my community of Surprise, my family and friends, my neighbors and my loved ones that span the globe. Thank you for your encouragement, love and support; without you I never would have known what this day—Election Day—feels like.
Trevor and I moved to Arizona in 2005, everything we owned packed into two older model vehicles and our 15 month old baby girl in the backseat. We didn’t know what to expect when we came here, but felt like it was a new frontier and fresh start for our young family. We knew nobody here and wondered if we would find a community that we could connect to and raise our daughter (and future daughter). Surprise has become home for our family of four over the last 6 years—our family is stretched over 3 continents (thank you for Skype!), but our community family is stretched throughout this city we love. To the many neighbors and friends who have become our family: we thank you and love you dearly.
To our families in Ireland, Australia, Colorado and Arizona: you have been such an incredible source of support and encouragement, even through the miles. I will never be able to thank you enough for all that you’ve done for me. I love you all dearly.
To my Irishman, Trevor—I didn’t know real love until our chance meeting in Ireland in 2002. Almost 10 years later, I am still so proud to stand by your side. I love you immensely and thank God for you every night in my dreams. Thank you for not calling me crazy when I wanted to pursue this dream.
And finally, my two sweet little girls, Rebecca and Madison. My reason for working so hard and wanting to make this city an incredible place to live is for you. My dreams for the future are that you will always know that dreams can come true with hard work and integrity. May you always know the most important job I’ll have in this life is the one I’m most grateful for: being your mom. Dream big and know I will always support you.
P.S. I Love You.
Photograph Courtesy of Kamee June Photography.
Why I Am Who I Am
Lessons Learned From My Father
Growing up as the third of four kids (and sandwiched between two outspoken sisters), I sometimes got lost in the chaos of my active family. My father somehow survived three daughters and one son, who were all teenagers at the same time. To maintain the sanity of being a single parent to four teenagers, he kept the reins tight and ensured that we were all very active with school activities, part-time jobs and church to keep us out of trouble. As much as we resented that he didn’t let us do everything that we wanted to do as teenagers and insisted on reviewing our homework on a nightly basis, I now realize that he was laying the foundation for all of us to grow up to be responsible citizens, good parents and spouses and to honor the family name he had given to us.
From a very young age I remember my father taking us to city meetings, political events and community board activities and always involving us in the process. As an 8-year old, I already knew who my Congressional representatives were because I had been a campaign volunteer from the time of waving a small American flag as a preschooler in local parades. It was instilled in all of us that being a fully involved American meant that we should either serve our country with military or public service in some way, whether by going into the military, serving in a political office or by volunteering in our community. We spent many early autumn weekends of my childhood volunteering on political campaigns, participating in community holiday food drives and staying up late on election nights to see the results. My grandfathers both paved the mindset of duty to others in our family through their military service and it’s a patriotism that I have carried throughout my life as I now instill it in my own daughters.
In both my professional and personal life, I have carried several of my father’s lessons with me. He always taught us to use every experience as a learning moment and a way to improve ourselves. Little did I know as a child that the following lessons would be so important to me now.
Never let the core of who you are be changed by others. Stand up for the truth and what is just, even if you stand alone. Never dishonor your family name with deceit or unethical behavior. Be the role model to your children of who you dream they will be. Use every experience in life to learn something and be a lifelong scholar. Never let your age or gender be your downfall…or your crutch; earn your place. Telling the truth will always be the better option in the long run, even if it seems easier now to not do so. Learn from your mistakes and the mistakes of others so that you don’t stumble in the same way. Always apologize when you have wronged someone and take accountability for your actions.
My father’s numerous lessons could take volumes to list, but they all have a central message that I carry with me today: You were made to do good, so do it and do not take the shortcut. Earn your successes, learn from your failures and most importantly, love others. I have carried these lessons with me from my upbringing in Colorado, to my years on Capitol Hill in Washington and into my life in Arizona over the last 6.5 years.
I love this City of Surprise. This is my young family’s home and where my daughters will be raised. As a community, we have such high potential to make it successful, to make it a city where our young children will want to raise their children, to make it a place my parents may want to retire someday. Unless we learn from the lessons taught to us through issues at City Hall in recent times, we will stumble even further than our city has already stumbled. I am running for City Council because I have the skills, the intellect and the integrity to help Surprise learn from our mistakes and move on in a way where we learn from the past to become a better city than we have become in the last four years. Please join me in learning from the past so that we can right our path for the future of Surprise.
Cities: Where Good Jobs Are Created
I cannot take credit for the editorial below, but agree 100% with it’s message regarding the importance of focusing our efforts locally (and effectively) to win the battle against the recession and current unemployment rates. We don’t need commuter rail along Grand Avenue to export our Surprise workforce to Phoenix every day; we need to focus our financial and economic development efforts on building up our local business market. I stand firm in my belief that spending money for the sake of spending it is irresponsible; effective utilization of our tax dollars locally will grow Surprise into the success story we all know that it can be in the Valley. I welcome your feedback on this article and it’s content. -Joy
Cities: Where Good Jobs Are Created
If you were to ask me, “From all the data you have studied so far, where will the next economic breakthrough come from?” my answer would be: From the combination of the forces within big cities, great universities, and powerful local leaders. Those three compose the most reliable, controllable solution. Their combined effect is the most predictable solution to America’s biggest current problem, which is winning the global war for good jobs.
Economic booms originate in the souls of individuals and great cities.
The cornerstone of these three is cities, especially America’s top cities. All cities count and can contribute. But so goes the leadership of the top 100 American cities, so goes the country’s economic future.
Of course cities, like organizations and workplaces, exhibit wide variation in economic outcomes. Austin has flourished, while Albany has declined. Sioux Falls is booming, while Sioux City is not. Think how different Detroit’s outcomes are from San Francisco’s. Detroit went from being one of the most bustling economic cities in the world to one of the most spectacularly failed. One could even argue that citizens in San Francisco saved the republic and national job creation by leading the technology boom. One city is a drain on America, and the other continues to save it.
Globally, the variation between cities is even more defining. Consider the difference between Havana and Singapore. Lee Kuan Yew founded modern-day Singapore and Fidel Castro founded modern-day Cuba at about the same time and under similar circumstances. Singapore is now one of the most progressive modern societies in the world with a super-charged economy and great jobs; Havana is an economic and social disaster. One city worked, one city failed. The difference between these two is primarily the result of one thing: local leadership.
Fixing America’s biggest problems and re-winning the world can only be accomplished one city at a time. Ultimately, all solutions are local.
Strong leadership teams are already in place within cities. A natural order is already present, in governments and local business and philanthropic entities. Every city has strong, caring leaders working on numerous committees and initiatives to fuel their local economic growth — let’s call it the city GDP — and to create good jobs. The feat these leaders have to pull off is doubling their entrepreneurial energy by aligning all their local forces.
They succeed by declaring all-out war.
I don’t use the term “war” lightly. This really has to be a war on job loss, on low workplace energy, on healthcare costs, on low graduation rates, on brain drain, and on community disengagement. Those things destroy cities, destroy job growth, and destroy city GDP. Every city requires its own master plan that is as serious as planning for war.
That plan must focus on the following:
1. Recognize that the most important solutions are local. Weak local leaders will look to Washington for more legislation and stimulus packages and more money for R&D to solve their problems. But what they need for job creation — entrepreneurs, enterprise energy, and the leadership to put it all together — is right there at home because cities are the highest probability source of job creation.
In 2009, almost half of all venture capital money spent in America went to four cities: New York, Palo Alto, Seattle, and Sunnyvale. So the obvious question is: Why does the Bay Area create so much economic power and not Detroit? Both have the same federal government. They work under the same laws and same rules. But San Francisco and Silicon Valley have created a culture that responds to innovation and creates business models like no other place on Earth. Cities that do this become a beacon for the most talented people in the world.
2. Have your whole city wage a war for jobs. Everybody in charge of anything needs to focus on job creation. If they divert their attention, vote them out. Be ruthless. If the bike path doesn’t have anything to do with job creation, there is no bike path. If rezoning improves the jobs outlook, rezone.
But not just any job will do — you want good jobs. The jobs war is won by knowledge jobs. Aim everything at those. The global economy is moving to the knowledge worker. You can build a slaughterhouse in your city, but that can’t be the leading job strategy. Good jobs are created by entrepreneurs working with innovators creating a winning business model. The jobs war is what should get city leaders up in the morning, what they should work on all day, and what should keep them from getting to sleep at night.
3. Align efforts citywide. Every city needs a team to work on the alignment, focus, and strategies that put all businesses and local institutions of absolutely every kind on the same page. Meanwhile, the whole city has to be participating, highly coordinated, and working out of the same playbook to win.
4. Don’t allow your local constituencies to look to Washington. Washington has something for you that is unsustainable or even worse, unhealthy. Free money eventually makes you more dependent. Free money, entitlements, more bureaucracy, less of your control — all these things make individual initiative, meritocracy, and free enterprise weaker and less competitive.
To reenergize, to strike lightning on your city’s GDP growth, its brain gain, its quality job creation, its vitality, and its future prosperity, don’t expect national answers. “Everything is local” is truer regarding job creation than anything else. You have to jumpstart your city yourself.
In defense of Washington, it wasn’t originally set up to be the nation’s economic engine. The U.S. government has seeded whole industries through land grant universities, defense contractors, and scientific and medical researchers to name just a few. But the government has never, will never, nor should it be expected to ignite badly needed sustainable economic booms. These economic booms originate in the souls of individuals and great cities.
The Face of Surprise’s Future
Last night the City Council voted 5-2 in favor of the council redistricting map that finally provides fair and equitable representation for the citizens living south of Bell Road. This map was the result of countless hours of time, discussion and work by city staff and the Citizens’ Redistricting Committee. We all owe the staff & volunteer citizens gratitude for their hard work on our behalf.
How will this impact the future of Surprise? Currently, we have approximately 70% of our population living south of Bell Road, but the majority of our Council representation is from north of Bell Road. With the newly approved map, 5 of the 6 Council districts will represent areas south of Bell Road, with 3 of the 5 districts overlapping Bell Road. Not only will this allow for more equitable representation for southern Surprise in policy decisions, but this map also kept the majority of HOAs intact in one district so that neighbors had solid advocacy for them on Council.
The future of Surprise over the next decade is yet to be seen. If we reflect on the last 10 years, we see the explosive growth of Surprise that grew us from 35,000 to 118,500 residents. What lies ahead for our economic development, housing and regional impact? I believe that Surprise will grow again, but with the slow down in the last few years we will be able to have smarter planning and growth.
I also reflect on the next 10 years of Surprise by observing my daughters. In 10 years, my eldest will be able to vote for elected officials and will be a senior in high school. My youngest will be getting her driver’s license. I wonder if Surprise will provide them the opportunities to have part-time after school jobs and entertainment to enjoy with fellow teenagers. I wonder if they will be going to college in Surprise or if they’ll need to move away to continue their education. The hopes of this mother is that Surprise will still be the perfect place to raise my family in 10 years and a place they will want to make home for their families one day.
My Daughters with Mrs. Ellington, Imagine Rosefield Teacher
This morning my husband and I were proud to sit in the audience and watch our eldest go up on stage to receive her “Student of the Month” award. I sat there amongst other proud parents and realized that what we were all observing were the faces of Surprise’s future. Ensuring fair and equitable representation at City Hall impacts all of those elementary students, their parents and the ability for them to grow up in a Surprise neighborhood for many years to come. So as we look at the young faces of Surprise’s children, we are looking at the future of Surprise and need to always be mindful of the impact City Hall will have on their lives.
Decisions made on City Council impact each one of our citizens’ lives. By ensuring fair and equitable representation on the Council, we are improving the outcome for the next decade in Surprise. Thank you to the five Councilmembers (Mayor Truitt, Vice Mayor Skip Hall, Roy Villanueva, John Williams and Mike Woodard) who voted in favor of equitable representation for the families of Surprise.
Why We Need Joy in City Hall
Over the last several days I have received many calls from voters who want to know more about the two candidates for City Council. Each call has been a wonderful opportunity to have open conversations with citizens who are concerned about what the future holds for Surprise. I appreciate each and every call; if you have questions, please do not hesitate to call or email me!
If you’d like to view the final televised debate between my opponent and I that took place a few weeks ago, I encourage you to click the link below. This debate was sponsored by the League of Women Voters and held at Surprise City Hall; it’s approxmiately 30 minutes in length and covers a variety of issues important to Surprise.
The Time is Right
The time is always right to do what is right. ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
The time has come for Surprise citizens to choose the direction our city is headed in over the next 4 years and beyond. Ballots began arriving in mailboxes on Monday and voters have until November 8th to return them. Why is it so important for our citizens to vote in this election? Simply, all of us are the “Human Resources Department” for our city and if we don’t do our homework on the candidates, nor take the time to choose the right candidate for our needs, how can we be sure that the people working for us—City Council—are truly the right people for the job?
To help you better understand who I am and why I am right for the job of representing your families on City Council, I’m including below some information about me that highlights why I am the most qualified candidate to represent you on City Council:
- Experience: I’ve worked at the federal, state & local levels of government, as well as in the private business development sector for more than a decade. My first-hand knowledge of how all levels of government work together, budgets, economic development & effective governance cannot be matched by my opponent, whose only experience has been 4 years of “learning on the job” (as he has said).
- Integrity: A person’s integrity is something that is most evident in their actions, rather than words. As a City of Surprise employee, I witnessed wrong-doing & knowing I’d face backlash, I still followed the proper process to report it because that was the right thing to do. I am always going to stand up for what is right, even if I am the only one standing. My actions in all facets of life reflect that commitment to honesty and integrity.
- Work Ethic: I learned a valuable lesson early on in adolescence, as one of four children of a single parent: you need to earn your way in this world not by expecting others to carry you, but by putting forward your own hard work and commitment. I worked multiple jobs during college to pay for my education, have worked very hard throughout my career to complete my work in a professional manner and dedicate myself regularly to working towards success within my own community by volunteering on my HOA Board, at my children’s school, church and assisting neighbors in need. If I’m not exhausted at the end of each day, I didn’t work hard enough.
- Understanding of City Hall: I worked for the City for 2 years and during that time, I was able to directly interact with the majority of employees in all departments on various projects. My understanding of the inter-departmental relationships, budget and policy processes, relationships with other cities, the State, metropolitan planning organizations and Washington DC surpass my opponent’s working knowledge because I was down in the trenches and not perched on a dais without daily interaction with all of the moving parts.
- Relationships: Throughout my career, I’ve established very strong relationships at all levels of government, in the business community and regionally. Relationships are vital in our ability to work together with neighboring partners. The incumbent has not reached out to establish a strong working relationship with our federal and state representatives, nor does he regularly interact on policy issues with our neighboring cities, the State or planning organizations. I regularly interact with our federal and state representatives, work closely with our local business community and meet with our regional planning organizations. We cannot excel in the region without active effort to deepen the breadth of our relationships with all of these individuals and groups.
I welcome you to contact me at joy.grainger@gmail.com with any questions that you may have for me. I want to work for you and understand that open communication is key to ensuring you are well represented. It is time to do the right thing and make the families of District 3 a priority at City Hall and not an afterthought. Be sure to return your ballot no later than November 8th! I truly value and appreciate every single person who votes for me. Thank you for your trust that I will continue to do the right thing for you.
An Open Letter to Surprise Families
“And let me offer lesson Number 1 about America: All great change in America begins at the dinner table.”
—President Ronald Reagan, Jan. 11, 1989
Over the last year, I have had the honor of meeting new neighbors and fellow citizens as we discussed how we envision the future of Surprise. We sat around kitchen tables and shared ideas about improving our city.
As a wife and mother, I am like many in District 3 who are balancing work, family, church and being actively engaged in our community. My husband and I chose to put down roots in Surprise in 2005, with dreams of raising our two young daughters here. We were thrilled to purchase our first home in 2008, only to see the value dramatically decrease, as we watched the builder leave our neighborhood unfinished. We watched as favorite local restaurants and businesses vanished, leaving empty storefronts in their place.
As our family buckled down to survive the recession, we saw our city leaders continue to spend money — our money — as if it were limitless. We all now know that what appeared “limitless” was actually mishandling and abuse of our hard-earned tax dollars.
Instead of throwing up hands in frustration, I have chosen to get involved in restoring and growing Surprise to the “shining city on the hill” that so many families believed it could be when making it home.
With more than a decade of experience in government relations, budgets, regional development and public-private partnerships, I have been proactive in advocating for a new Surprise. As an advocate on the Surprise Farms HOA board, we have reached out to the builders and established strong relationships.
When I witnessed misuse of taxpayer dollars as a city employee, I reported it with an understanding that the taxpayers had entrusted City Hall to be good stewards. When our business community felt the stress of a collapsing market, I stepped up to help with workforce development and relationship building beyond our city limits.
Change doesn’t just happen at City Hall; change happens in our neighborhoods, our schools, our churches and at our dinner tables when we all work together. The council works for the people and I would be honored to work for your family on City Council.
There’s No Place Like Home
The people who represent "home" to me: my family.
Home. Just the thought of it makes me exhale and relax a bit. Home is the place I can enter and leave the hectic craze of work, school, activities and stress on the doorstep. When I get home, kick off my shoes and sit down to spend time with my family, I sometimes take a moment or two to reflect on how blessed I truly am. I think Dorothy had it right in The Wizard of Oz; there really is no place like home.
We bought our very first house in Surprise Farms in early 2008, after having rented houses & apartments all of adulthood to that point in time. We wanted to make sure that Surprise was going to be our home for a long time—the place our girls would grow up, the place we’d always come back to after an adventure, the place we’d make friends for life and reminisce of shared holidays, vacations, block parties and even hard times. We signed the paperwork, were handed the keys and walked into the front door of our home. Surprise is home for my family and each day I drive home from my office in Phoenix, I see the “City of Surprise” sign at the city limits, exhale and relax a bit. Many times during the week, my family heads out to one of our favorite local restaurants to visit owners who have become friends, such as Declan, Dave, Hugh & Amy at The Irish Wolfhound. We go get our hair cut at Botanicals Salon and sit to chat a bit with the owner (and friend), Patti. We go shopping at the store and stop by to say hello to the manager, Randy. Home isn’t simply the place we have the door key to on our key ring; home is the community and friends that have become our family. Home is the family, friends and place we love coming back to at the end of a long day. Surprise is truly home.
As with our own homes, we all need to help maintain and do “home improvement projects” in our community. If we’re not actively engaged in maintaining and improving this city we love calling home, how can we expect it to retain the charm we love about it? I’ve chosen to get proactively involved through the Surprise Regional Chamber of Commerce, the small business community, Surprise Farms III HOA Board, my children’s school (Imagine Rosefield), church and volunteering to help when there is an opportunity. Our Surprise is not a home created by City Hall. Our Surprise is created, grows and improves because we actively work to make it the city we want to call home.
Our city leaders seem to forget regularly that they are supposed to be voices for our families. They boast of creating “thousands of jobs” (better check the facts—those “thousands” are at most, a few hundred), while not giving credit to the job creators: the businesses. They boast of a strong relationship with the Dysart Unified School District, but still bicker regularly about how that relationship is defined. They boast of how transparent they are in handling our money, then our bond rating is downgraded and the audit shows that over 200 accounting errors of major amounts occurred within the last year alone. They’ve forgotten that our city—our home—needs proper maintenance, improvement, hard work and all partners working together to make it the place we all can proudly call home.
Final Public Debate for District 3
The Surprise Regional Chamber of Commerce is hosting a “City Council Candidate Debate” for the public on Wednesday, October 5th, at The Holiday Inn Express 16540 West Bullard Avenue (just north of the Surprise Spring Training Ballpark) at 7 p.m. This will be your final public opportunity to hear from my opponent & I on issues that impact Surprise. It’s an open event and I highly encourage you to bring your kids so that they can get a glimpse into civic engagement from a young age! My family looks forward to having you join us that night.
For more details, go to www.surpriseregionalchamber.com. A huge thank you to the Surprise Regional Chamber Civic Affairs Committee for hosting the Candidate Debates for each of the Council seats up for election this fall.
Final Mayoral Debate Tonight
Tonight is the final Mayoral Debate, sponsored by the Surprise Regional Chamber of 
Commerce Public Affairs Committee. I highly encourage all Surprise citizens to join me in the audience to hear Mayor Truitt and his opponent discuss the issues impacting all of our families. These debates are vital to understanding who the people behind the sound bites and signs along the road truly are; get to know them because one of them will be leading our city for the next 4 years.
The details for tonight’s debate can be found at the link below. Additionally, be sure to have your calendars marked to come out for my final debate this Wednesday night at 7 p.m. I have appreciated the opportunity to answer questions, provide my insight on the future of Surprise and highlight the differences between my opponent and I in our work ethics. Wednesday night will be the last opportunity to hear us answer questions in a forum style event.
http://www.chamberorganizer.com/northwestvalleychamber/v_newsletters/newsletter_2991135.htm
Someone Like Me
The Little Girls That Changed My World: My Daughters.
I was talking with a good friend the other day and asked her, “If we weren’t friends & I wasn’t running for City Council, what would be most important to you in determining who to vote for?”. Her reply was simple, “I’d vote for someone like me. At the end of the day, I don’t get caught up in who promises the most; I just want someone who understands what matters to me and will stand up for me.”
For a little Friday fun not related to answering policy questions, here’s some tidbits to give you a peak into who I am when it’s just me, my husband, daughters and friends. I hope it’ll help you get to know me a little more not as a candidate, but as a person and your neighbor. Enjoy!
Favorite Color: Red
Favorite Holiday: 4th of July (also my wedding anniversary), followed closely by Christmas
3 Odd Facts: 1) I’ve got a photographic memory & can remember people’s names, birthdays, phone numbers, who was at events & who they talked to, etc. as if it just happened; 2) I met my husband, Trevor, in Ireland while representing Washington DC in the International Rose of Tralee (www.roseoftralee.ie). He was my official festival escort, we hit it off and 9 years later we’re still happily married; 3) I’m the only one in my family who is left-handed & has freckles.
Places I’ve Lived: Virginia, Colorado, Washington, D.C., Arizona
Most Fun Job I’ve Had: I was a tour guide at Celestial Seasonings in college (Boulder, CO) & LOVED it! It never got old to take people into the peppermint room & clear their sinuses in 3 seconds. I was able to smell an unmarked CS tea bag and tell you which of the 56 flavors it was within a few seconds.
When I was a Child: 1) I was shy & quiet; 2) I dreamed of working on Capitol Hill (& accomplished it by the age of 23!); 3) I wanted to visit Ireland some day (little did I know I’d meet my husband there!); 4) I constantly had my nose in a book & have always loved to read and write.
Best Moment of My Life: On November 24, 2003 & April 11, 2006, I was handed the precious task of being a mother to the two most wonderful baby girls in the world. God gave me the gift of being their mother & entrusted Trevor and I to raise them up to be the incredible young ladies that they are growing into every day. I can remember those two “first moments” of holding my daughters & the rush of emotion that accompanied them.
What I Do For Fun: I’m a ‘morning person’, so we’re up every day before the sunrise, whether it’s the weekend or a week day. I love to do yard work & home improvement projects. I’ve done a lot of projects around our house & love to dig in the dirt. We also love to travel, whether days trips in AZ or longer trips to visit our families in Colorado & Ireland.
If My Close Friends Could Tell You Something About Me, It Would Be: Ooh, they’ve got so much they could let out of the bag (such as my obsession with cleaning my house & collecting Christmas ornaments!)! I think they’d let you know that when it’s just me with my friends, I’ve got a wicked sense of humor, I’ll always do my part to help someone out and I’m intensely loyal. I can be found 99.9% of the time with a Diet Coke within reaching distance.
If My Daughters & Husband Could Tell You Something About Me, It Would Be: I regularly cram too many activities into vacation schedules, my poor husband does all of our cooking and I iron my girls’ school clothes every morning (they’re in kindergarten & 2nd grade).
What I Would Tell You If You & I Went for a Bite to Eat Together: I’m just like you–my family is my top priority, I do my best to balance my work, volunteering & family schedules, I want to make Surprise a place my kids will fondly remember growing up in and I care about the well-being of my friends & neighbors. At the end of the day, a person’s heart & integrity will matter most. I have 12 years of experience that qualify me for this job, but I also have a lifetime of character that surpasses that.
I welcome you to contact me and let’s get to know each other better. My email is joy.grainger@gmail.com and I look forward to hearing from you.
Joy Grainger is endorsed by Surprise’s Federal and State Representatives
Straight From the Candidates’ Mouths
With the plethora of campaign signs scattered around Surprise for the last few months, it’s easy to tire of the elections and check out on learning about the candidates prior to voting. As much as it’s easy to do, I encourage you to not stop learning about the candidates and what their ideas are for Surprise. The City Council works FOR the citizens of Surprise, so if you don’t research the candidates for the job, you won’t know who is working for & speaking on your behalf.
Last night, the League of Women Voters sponsored a Candidates’ Debate between the final two candidates for each open office. It was an incredible opportunity to share our ideas, experience and enthusiasm for the future of our city. I encourage you to clink the link below to spend 20 minutes getting to know me and why I am the better choice for the families of Surprise’s 3rd District. I value your feedback and encourage you to contact me with questions. My hope is that I can work for your family on Council and ensure that the 67,000 citizens of District 3 are well-represented in city decisions.
Joy Grainger is endorsed by Surprise’s Federal & State Representatives
Surprise, AZ (September 20, 2011) Joy Grainger, Republican candidate for Surprise City Council District 3, has received the endorsement of three Surprise representatives at the federal and state levels. AZ Congressman Trent Franks, along with State Representatives Jack Harper and Steve Montenegro, endorsed Joy as the most qualified, experienced and hard-working candidate for the District 3 Council seat.
“I am honored to endorse Joy Grainger for Surprise City Council. Joy is a hard-working advocate for families in Surprise and never tires of doing her part to improve the community through volunteering on many local boards and committees. She is a fiscal conservative who actively connects with various groups and businesses within Surprise to promote smart growth and coalitions for productive development. With her constant work to build relationships both within Surprise and around Arizona, she will be a huge asset for the City Council. I encourage Surprise residents to vote for Joy Grainger for Surprise City Council District 3.” –U.S. Representative Trent Franks
The three endorsements reflect the building support at all levels of Joy Grainger as the strongest candidate for representing the predominantly younger family population of the 3rd District.
“It is truly humbling to receive the endorsement and support of three statesmen that have been continually re-elected by the citizens of Surprise to represent our families at the U.S. Capitol and Arizona State Capitol,” said Joy upon accepting their endorsements. “I am honored to have their support of my platform to restore integrity and fiscal restraint to City Hall, improve relationships with our business community and seek new development within Surprise that will benefit the quality of life for all of our citizens. My entire campaign has been about making Surprise the place all of our families will be proud to call home for many years.”
Mrs. Grainger has over a decade of experience at the federal, state and local levels of government, as well as experience in the private and non-profit industries. She is the Vice President of the Surprise Farms III HOA, a member of Radiant Church, a Legislative District 4 Precinct Committeewoman and an active volunteer at Imagine Rosefield Charter School. She currently works for Goodwill of Central AZ as the Resource Development Manager, helping in Goodwill’s mission to put Arizonans to work. Joy and her husband, Trevor, love calling Surprise home and are the proud parents of two daughters, Rebecca and Madison.
The Maverick Movement
- Maverick Thomas 8/9/06-7/22/11
My brother said, “Maverick was larger than life; this world just could not contain him, it just wasn’t big enough for him. I’ve never seen anything like it.” That’s a great way to describe Maverick. I know he’s in Heaven, running and jumping and bouncing until his heart is content, with no more breathing problems. -Brooke Thomas, Maverick’s Mom
July 22, 2011 was a day the Thomas family will never forget. It was their oldest son’s 7th birthday and the day their middle child, Maverick, left this world for his eternal life. I will never forget July 22, 2011 either; I am a mother of two daughters who happen to be Maverick’s age and Devan’s (older brother) age and attend the same school. I’m a mother who grieves the loss Brooke and Evan Thomas will have to face every morning for the rest of their lives, when they wake and again realize that one of their three children is no longer here. No parent ever wants to bury a child, but unfortunately, Brooke and Evan did.
Maverick drowned in a backyard pool accident. Maverick’s legacy didn’t drowned with him though. We cannot let his legacy go and along with several other moms at Imagine Rosefield School in Surprise, we’ve formed a group that is organizing a fundraiser this Saturday, September 17th, at the school. This fundraiser, “The Maverick Movement: A Celebration of Life“, will not be a somber one because a 5-year old little angel would want it to be fun. We will have games, arts & crafts, music, food, fire and police vehicles, a bake sale, massages, water safety information, a raffle and silent auction. We have had over $7,000 in items donated for the auction and raffle, including sporting event tickets, hotel stays, restaurant and spa service gift certificates, autographed memorabilia and much more. Our goal is to raise at least $7,000 to help the Thomas family with the bills from Maverick’s death and also in their new goal to carry on his message with the formation of their 501(c)3 non-profit foundation, called “The Maverick Movement“, which will share their story, educate others about water safety & make water survival training more affordable to families.
The event on Saturday is free and we welcome all to join us. This event is a way to celebrate a little boy who was a superstar in his parents’ eyes and now lives amongst the stars, to share time as a community and to remind ourselves to stop our busy schedules once in awhile to share fun time with our children. Come cherish an evening with other families at Imagine Rosefield School (12050 N Bullard Ave, Surprise, AZ 85379) on Saturday at 4:00-6:00 p.m. Raffle tickets and silent auction items are available for purchase, with payment being accepted via cash, check or secure credit card payment through PayPal. Let’s remind this family that they are not alone and that we are a community that cares. Join us in starting the Maverick Movement.
Evan, Brooke, Devan and Emilee: Always remember that you are never alone in this life. We walk with you and will hold you when you hurt. We love you.
Candidate Debates Coming Up This Month
The League of Women Voters will again be hosting a televised Candidates’ Debate at the Surprise City Hall (16000 North Civic Center Drive) on Wednesday, September 21st at 7 p.m. The public is welcome to attend and it will also be televised on Surprise Channel 11. More information can be found at the City’s website at www.surpriseaz.gov.
The Surprise Regional Chamber of Commerce is hosting a “City Council Candidate Debate” for the public on Wednesday, October 5th, at the Holiday Inn Express at 12545 West Bell Road (south of Bell Road) at 7 p.m. This will be your last opportunity to hear the 6 candidates for Mayor, Districts 2 & 3 answer your questions on issues that impact Surprise. It’s an open event and I highly encourage you to bring your kids so that they can get a glimpse into civic engagement from a young age! My family looks forward to having you join us that night.
For more details, go to www.surpriseregionalchamber.com. A huge thank you to the local chapter of the League of Women Voters and the Surprise Regional Chamber Civic Affairs Committee for hosting the Candidate Debates for each of the Council seats up for election this fall.
Be Part of the Change
All great change in America happens at the dinner table.
-President Ronald Reagan
Everyone that knows me personally knows that I’m a huge Ronald Reagan fan and bleed red, white and blue (I did get married on my favorite holiday–July 4th–after all!). I grew up in a time when our President was still someone children were taught to admire, when families would gather around the television to watch the State of the Union Address or a space shuttle launch. I’m extremely proud to be an American and to live in a free country because my grandfathers, cousin and other family members fought in our armed services to protect that right.
The first campaign I ever worked on was for Ronald Reagan’s re-election in 1984. I was 7 years old and loved the excitement of the parades, flag waving, knocking on doors and attending political rallies with my dad. Most of all, I loved my President. My eldest daughter, Rebecca, is now 7 years old and also working on her first campaign: mine. I take her and Madison along to every political event we attend, they knock on doors, help with signs and even went to City Hall to see voting booths on Primary Day last month. I want them to understand the importance of getting involved in the process, of electing representatives who will govern with integrity and most of all, to know that they should be a part of the process.
We had a dismal 26% voter turnout rate for our Council Primary. Only 26% of our voters (or less than 10% of our District 3 population) took the time to be a part of the process. How can we be represented and ensure our government truly represents us if only 26% speak up? Families today are busier than ever; I’m all too familiar with the “rush” with my own family balancing two working parents, two kids, various activities, church, school, volunteering, etc. Life is busy, but is it too busy to take a few minutes to vote?
I’m a Republican wife and mom, who wants to make our city a better place for our kids and for our older parents. Being a Republican reflects who I am because I am raising my kids to be active, responsible, sensible and educated citizens in our democracy. This week marks 10 years since 9/11. Ten years ago, I was living just blocks from the U.S. Capitol in Washington, working countless hours as a Senate staffer…until one day, terrorists decided to attack. Over the next few weeks, we volunteered to serve food to those working in the rubble at the Pentagon. Those weeks are burned into my memory vividly; it took me months to deal with the range of emotions I felt from being there. Then one chilly November Saturday, I walked alone down to the Korean War Memorial and just sat there for hours. On the Memorial is the quote “Freedom is not Free” and one that reflects what being an American is–our freedom is taken for granted so often, but can slip away so quickly. Freedom isn’t just our border security or fighting terrorists half a world away; it is about ensuring our democracy is kept intact by the people. How can our democracy be protected if we don’t vote?
As we move closer to October and the general election, I would encourage you to sit around your dinner table and discuss our country’s freedoms with your children. Discuss 9/11 and how it changed you. Discuss the current economic crisis and how it impacts your family. Discuss our city’s future and what it means to your family. And when your ballot arrives in the mailbox in about a month, discuss the choices you need to make to ensure your voice is heard. Above all, honor our freedoms and practice your right to vote.
The Girl Who Grew Up Dreaming of Making a Difference
I grew up in a suburb of Denver, 
Colorado that is similar to Surprise—about 120,000 citizens, very family friendly, situated at the base of the foothills and filled with kids growing up with dreams of something big. When we first came to Surprise in 2005 to look for a place to put down roots, I had that feeling that I’d found home and a place that my kids could grow up. We moved to Surprise in early 2006 and shortly after, our youngest daughter, Madison was born. This was the home our daughters would know throughout their childhoods.
Just as life sometimes repeats itself, I hear my daughters share their dreams with me on a daily basis and I smile to myself, reflecting on the dreams I had when I was their ages. As the 3rd of four kids in my family (and the middle daughter), I had a tendency to get lost in the mix and take the back seat. However, as I sat in the wings and watched my siblings in bloom, I kept tucking away my dreams for what I’d do when I grew up. One of the recurring themes of my dreams was always to 1) make a positive impact on the lives of others and 2) make a positive impact on the place I live. I’ve done my best through the years to always keep those thoughts in all of my actions, from my youth in Colorado, to my time on Capitol Hill in DC and eventually to my life here in Arizona.
This girl from Arvada, Colorado felt a bit of those childhood dreams come true on Tuesday night when I got the call that Surprise voters chose me to move on to the general election on November 8th. A wave of emotions overcame me in that moment—excitement for the win, empathy for those who didn’t move forward, love for the friends & family who were there to share the news with me and sadness for those I wished could have been there to celebrate the role they’ve played in my life. I believed in my dream, I worked hard and I did it. I didn’t do it alone, though. For all the teachers, mentors, friends and family who have encouraged me along this journey, my heart overflows with gratitude for you. Thank you for believing in me. Your encouragement and love will be with me every step of the way as I pound the pavement over the next two months and win the election in November.