Business executive, community volunteer running for City Council

Business executive and community volunteer Kelly Callison is running for Oak Ridge City Council in the November 4 municipal election.

Callison is chief operating officer of Information International Associates Inc. He is also vice chairman of the Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission.

In a press release, Callison said he thinks his community, business, and military experience will enable him to bring a cooperative and positive approach to city government. Callison said he will focus on “maintaining our great schools, improving housing, and increasing retail and commercial business.”

Callison and his family came to Oak Ridge seven years ago and have been active in the community from the beginning, the press release said. Besides serving as vice chair of the Municipal Planning Commission, Callison is a member of the East Tennessee Economic Council, a member of the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce Advocacy Task Force, a board member of Contact CareLine, president of the Oak Ridge Breakfast Rotary Club, and a member of the Oak Ridge Chapter of the League of Woman Voters.

Callison chaired the 26th annual ORBRC and Altrusa Literacy Luncheon, which raised more than $22,000 for literacy projects throughout the local area, the press release said.

“He is committed to the community and increasing the quality of life for all residents,” the release said.

The press release said Information International Associates Inc., where Callison is COO, is a 26-year-old Oak Ridge business with $33 million in annual revenue.

“In addition to understanding the local business environment, Callison has had extensive business experience in other communities, including a career as a U.S. Coast Guard officer,” the release said. “During tours in San Francisco, Oakland, and Monterey, California; Detroit, Michigan; New York, New York; New London, Connecticut; and the District of Columbia, he saw that each area had its own challenges and ways of dealing with them, both successful and unsuccessful.”

The press release said Callison understands balancing neighborhood needs with commercial interests. He served as president of the Springfield Forest Homeowners Association in northern Virginia, representing more than 500 homes built in the 1950s, when there was nothing surrounding the neighborhood. The area is now adjacent to a large retail center, the release said. Callison and the association partnered with the county supervisors to balance additional commercial development with preserving the character of the long-established neighborhood.

With twin seven-year-old boys in second grade at Linden Elementary School, Callison and his wife Stacey have a vested interest in the long-term success of Oak Ridge Schools, the press release said. Callison is a board member of the Oak Ridge Public School Education Foundation, and Stacey Callison serves as president of the Superintendent’s PTO/PTA Council.

Callison has a bachelor’s degree in math/computer science and a master’s degree in computer science. Visit his web site at www.kellycallison.com.