SUGAR HILL — The residents of Sugar Hill will take to the polls Nov. 3 to elect a new city council member. The seat has been vacant since council member Curtis Northrup announced his retirement at the Jul. 14, 2020, meeting of the city council. Two Sugar Hill residents have filed the necessary paperwork and have qualified for the election. The two candidates for the vacant seat are Amber Chambers and Nicholas “Nic” Greene.
The North Gwinnett Voice is taking a look at both candidates vying for the vacant seat.
Amber Chambers
All information was pulled from Chambers’ candidacy website and other internet sources. The North Gwinnett Voice attempted to reach out to Chambers for a full interview but was unsuccessful.
Age: 44
Sugar Hill resident since: 2015
Background information: Chambers was born and raised in Flowery Branch. She graduated from the University of North Georgia with a degree in computer science and business administration. She enjoys taking care of her two rescue cats, gardening, reading about science and history, as well as following politics and current events.
Current occupation: Homemaker
Previous occupation: Chambers states on her website that she has worked several jobs such as a software engineer, a software marketing specialist and a middle school teacher for algebra and technology.
Political experience: Formerly an active member of the Georgia Libertarian Party.
Community involvement: Chambers said she regularly attends city council meetings to weigh in on issues she feels passionate about. She uses social media and apps such as NextDoor to encourage residents to be more involved in the government side of the city. Chambers supports the Songs for Kids Foundation, which provides children with illnesses, injuries or special needs the chance to tap into their creativity and self-expression through music. She said she also helps with Clark Howard’s Christmas Kids Gift Drive.
Reason for running for council seat #4: Chambers states that she is running as an alternative to the usual city official. She thinks the city is growing too fast without considering the existing residents of the city.
Vision for Sugar Hill: Chambers wishes to tackle four areas that she thinks are issues: increasing transparency from city hall, accountability and accessibility of city officials, common-sense growth and financial restraint.
How to learn more about Amber Chambers: More information about Chambers is available on her website, amber4sugarhill.org and on Facebook at facebook.com/AChambers4SugarHill.
Nicholas “Nic” Greene
All information came from a face-to-face interview with the candidate.
Age: 37
Sugar Hill resident since: 2009
Background information: Greene moved to Georgia in 1991 from Louisiana. He graduated from White County High School in Cleveland. Greene started his college career at LaGrange College then later transferring to Georgia Southern University where he earned his bachelor’s degree in sports management. He has been married for 13 years to his wife Lynley. They have two children who attend Lanier cluster schools, a daughter Savannah, who is 10, and a son Tate, who is 5.
Current occupation: Licensed insurance agent/owner of the Farmer’s Insurance Agency in Sugar Hill since 2015.
Previous occupation: Greene was in banking for four years before making the move to insurance by working for Nationwide Insurance starting in 2011.
Political experience: Never held an elected public office.
Community involvement: Greene was the inaugural president of the Sugar Hill Business Alliance, SHBA when it was started in 2013. He held that position for three years. Greene is still an active participant in the Sugar Hill Business Alliance. He was selected to serve as a member of the Downtown Development Authority in 2014 and for the past three years, Greene has served as the vice-chairman of the DDA.
During his tenure on the DDA, the DDA was instrumental in bringing to the citizens of Sugar Hill the E-Center, Eagle Theatre, Broadstone at Sugar Hill, The Bower at Sugar Hill and the Dogwood Forrest Project, which is under construction.
Greene is a very active member of the community and can often be found at events throughout the city.
Reason for running for council seat #4: Having served the city through his involvement with the SHBA and the DDA, Greene developed the desire to be able to do even more to serve the community he loves. He feels that his experience from the SHBA and the DDA, and being a business owner in the city has given him the tools that will be an asset in helping the city to be the premier city in Gwinnett County.
Vision for Sugar Hill: Greene said that he will work to keep Sugar Hill moving toward being a “work, live, play” community. While growth within the city is necessary, he wants the growth to be done in a responsible way in both the downtown area, as well as every corner of the city. Greene thinks that having the community’s input on proposed projects throughout the city will be instrumental in shaping the city into a place where residents want to live, find employment, shop, dine and play.
“I want to work to support Sugar Hill businesses and restaurants,” Greene said. “I will work to bring in the right types of businesses so that residents want to spend their money in Sugar Hill.”
Greene said that by residents keeping their money within the community, it benefits everyone. More businesses will move into the area and will provide more jobs and financial security for residents. Some of the businesses will be restaurants and businesses that provide the “play” aspect to the city. Having more businesses in the city helps tax revenue, which in turn benefits the residents through the city’s existing and proposed parks and greenspace, community events, having access to the E-Center gym free of cost and more. Having the ability to live, work and play in Sugar Hill will help build the city’s sense of community even further, which will encourage young people to return to Sugar Hill to become the second, third or even fourth generation of their families in Sugar Hill.
How to learn more about Nic Greene: Greene will be in the community at events. On Oct. 13, he will speak at the Lanier Education Foundation meeting, and on Oct. 14, Greene will spend time with the Sugar Hill Youth Council. He can also be found spending his weekends going door to door to introduce himself to the residents of the city and answer any questions they may have. For the most current information, visit facebook.com/NicholasGreeneCouncilCandidate.
