Culpeper native announces candidacy for Board of Supervisors

“Home Grown! Home Trained” is the campaign slogan of Culpeper native Sanford Reaves Jr. who recently announced his candidacy for Supervisor of the Culpeper County Board of Supervisors Salem District.

“I’m ready to serve in Culpeper,” said Reaves.

Reaves was born in Fauquier County Hospital on Nov. 3, 1955 to Mr. and Mrs. Sanford Reaves Sr. of Culpeper. He attended Culpeper Public Schools where he met his high school sweetheart and wife of 35 years, Lorraine, also of Culpeper. They have three children, Sanford III and wife Jennifer Bowles, Lance and Shardonnay. He also has two grandchildren, Brianna and Elijah.

Reaves said his grandchildren are one of the reasons he’s running for supervisor. During his senior year in high school, Reaves was SCA Student Body President and a member of FBLA. He said he wants his grandchildren to have the same opportunities that he had when he was in school, or better.

Reaves has been a member of the Culpeper County Planning Commission for 17 years, and was currently promoted to chairman. He has been the pastor at Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Locust Grove for four years, president of Sanford & Sons Construction and Sanford & Sons Janitorial, a member of the local NAACP chapter, a licensed realtor and Vice-Chairman of the Eastern View High School Oversight Committee.

Reaves attended Smithdeal-Massey Business College in Richmond where he received an Associates Degree in Business Administration. In 2005 he received his Master’s of Divinity from the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University in Richmond.

“I would like to have more of an impact on the future of Culpeper, and what better way to do it than being in on that ground level,” he said.

Reaves said he would like to help high school graduates, whether they choose to extend their education or go straight out into the work force.

“When they get out of high school they’ll have the opportunity to get hired and have higher paying jobs,” he said. He said most graduates only see the option of working in fast food and don’t get the opportunity to get a fresh start.

Along with the need for diversity, Reaves thinks that there’s a need for citizens to “get the most out of what this community has to offer.”

He said that the platform of his campaign is forthcoming and what he is most focused on now is being there for the citizens of Salem. Reaves said that the first thing he would do if he was elected into office was to meet with the school board superintendent to get a better understanding of the direction they are taking the public schools.

The key issues he plans to improve are unemployment, housing, foreclosures and the cooperation between county and town.

When asked about opponent Tom Underwood, the Salem District incumbent, Reaves said “I don’t want it to be a back and forth thing, I want to focus on the issues of Culpeper County and making it as strong tomorrow as it is today.

“I want to be a people’s candidate to the Salem District, so those citizens will be able to call me and ask any questions and get a down-to-earth perspective instead of having it so far above their heads. I want the citizens of the Salem District to have a feel for what decisions are being made in their community,” he said.