Ready To Work, Ready To Serve...Ready To DELIVER!!!
Stand With A Proven Advocate!
Mike for East Point City Council Ward A At-Large
Stand With A Proven Advocate!
Mike for East Point City Council Ward A At-Large
I'm an Atlanta native who comes from a family of civil rights activists, community volunteers, and hardworking business entrepreneurs. I was taught at an early age that home and family means everything, and so does hard work. I was also brought up to take pride in and to care about community because that is also home--and we all have an obligation to look after it..
I attended Atlanta public schools and went on to obtain an Associate Degree via community college. Later, I studied Criminal Justice and Marketing, and also studied Journalism, Business Administration, and Biblical Archaeology at Liberty U.
At the age of 19, I became Ordained.
I have earned a certification in TV production and worked for several years with People TV Atlanta as an associate producer. I am also trained in music production, have worked for years as a syndicated Radio DJ, and have also served as a music, lifestyle, and politics columnist and freelance writer for publications owned by The New York Times and The Source Magazine.
In 2009, my work as an independent record producer and studio owner culminated in I and my production partner earning a BET Hip Hop Award nomination after producing the track to one of that year's most successful rap songs,
I began my entrepreneurial journey at age 18, when I opened an arcade in southwest Atlanta. Two years later, I opened my first restaurant and lounge.
I have worked extensively on felon voting rights issues, anti-recidisivm efforts, and I have worked on programs that aim to prevent teen crime. I am also an employer who has banned the box and supports that initiative nationwide.
As for family, I'm the parent to two amazing young men, one of whom works in real estate and the other who works in video game development.
Simultaneously, for over 15 years, I've operated and managed The Greenbriar shopping complex where I've directed not just a multi-million dollar annual budget, but I've also coordinated community programs, managed a staff of over a dozen employees, worked extensively with our nearby East Point and Atlanta police agencies, and managed the growth and development of the business while overseeing the safety of the thousands of shoppers who visit our complex each week.
In the process of overseeing one of the largest commercial enterprises in the area, with almost 200 tenants on site, I've learned a lot about business, economics, relationships and public safety. I'm also proud to point out that our complex features one of the highest concentrations of Black-owned businesses in metro Atlanta.
I'm also proud to be an employer who supports voting rights for ex-felons, banning the box on employment applications, and hiring ex-felons because putting returning citizens to work reduces recidivism.
Running a large business hasn't interfered with my commitment to the residents of East Point and over the years I have served not only on the Cultural Enrichment Commission, but I was the first chair of the East Point Utility Commission. I also continue to advocate for and volunteer to serve our local seniors.
And my nearly 20 years of activism in East Point has taught me quite a lot about what our city's needs and challenges are--and how to fix and address them.
Part of the challenge in this city is reestablishing a commitment to development. East Point has long been saddled with a reputation as an anti-business city thanks to outdated code, a pointlessly cumbersome permitting process, conflicting utility service establishment guidelines and an overall lack of focus and vision. This has all led to developers seeking to do business elsewhere such as nearby cities like Hapeville.
A look at Downtown tells the story of East Point's relationship today with economic development and investment: Unfulfilled potential, underutilized buildings, and growing blight. Big business ain't interested and residents have had enough.
Case in point: The Commons project initiated in 1997, and not a brick has been laid to date.
But we can turn it around in part by modernizing our approach to business and by electing people who understand what it takes to attract and harness job creating development that improves the lives of every resident and shows the world East Point is ready for business.
I know a thing or two about bringing development to East Point. In July 2025, I helped attract and finalize one of the biggest redevelopment projects in the history of southwest Atlanta and East Point: A massive mixed-use development on the grounds of our shopping complex, a nearly $600 million redevelopment project that is set to bring new retail including a grocery store, hundreds of new jobs, and thousands of new and affordable living spaces to the area.
I look forward to bringing years of business knowledge, and a deep understanding of this community onto the East Point City Council--where I will accept NO CITY SALARY and will make building East Point my primary objective!
I hope to earn your continued support and trust.
-Mike Herring
1/6
In the 2000s, as the mortgage crisis took hold nationwide, East Point was hit hard. Thousands of families struggled to keep roofs over their heads in our city, and our local Utility experienced a number of struggles that culminated in higher than average power bills.
When the city was slow to provide relief to overburdened utility customers, I went to work. I successfully lobbied to get the city to expand the number of payment arrangements every utility customer could make and to put manpower into solving complaints by customers who were experiencing difficulties and hardships as a result of their electric and water services.
I advocated for our Customer Care employees to be required to wear professional uniforms that celebrated the city, provided a professional image, and also reminded everyone who is the boss in this city--YOU!
In 2016, I was seated as the first Chair of the East Point Utility Commission where I continued to advocate for residents of this city.
When the city refused to repair sewer lines that were causing raw sewage to leak into homes and yards, I took on the powers=that-be and got those lines replaced on Cloverhurst Drive.
My advocacy doesn't end there. When this city was swindled out of a million dollars through an email scam, I spoke out and organized the community to take action and unseat those who were asleep at the wheel as our dollars went out the door.
And I'm ready to keep working for you!
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