The King Street Marketing Group and Halls Chophouse are pleased to welcome Leon Stavrinakis, local businessman, State Representative and Charleston Mayoral Candidate, as our guest speaker Thursday, October 1.
"My plan is practical and straightforward: Fix our streets. Tackle traffic. Improve the schools. Keep people safe. Keep taxes low. And demand excellence in everything we do."
- What about his plan for Charleston's future?
- Will he be Charleston's next Mayor?
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A Charleston Democrat, Stavrinakis, 49, has been part of local and state politics since 1999, when he earned a seat on Charleston County Council where he served until 2006, the last two years as chairman.
While he was on County Council, he was part of establishing the first urban-growth boundary, a line beyond which intense development isn't permitted. He also was part of approving plans to preserve green space, keep the city's public transportation from going under and pay for infrastructure projects.
He lead an effort to use local-area projects funded by the county's half-cent sales tax as the required local match money for the Interstate 526 completion project. "It was a dormant project," he said, "but the match plan kick-started it."
In 2007 he ran for and won the District 119 state House seat and has held it since then. He was part of successful legislative efforts including incentive packages for Boeing and Daimler AG, passing a domestic violence bill, bringing in funding for the Medical University of South Carolina's new children's hospital and funding for an aeronautical training center at Trident Technical College.
One of Stavrinakis' major accomplishments in the Legislature was writing, sponsoring and getting the Boland Act passed. This law has kept guns out of the hands of many mental health patients known to be dangerously ill. It's named for Alice Boland, who tried to fire a handgun at officials at Ashley Hall school in downtown Charleston in 2013. She pulled the trigger, but the gun didn't go off because no round was in the chamber.
Born here in Charleston, he lives in West Ashley with his wife and three children. He received his undergraduate degree at the College of Charleston and law degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law.
Each month, Small Business Lunch at Halls features a distinguished speaker from the business, civic or political arenas upstairs at Halls Chophouse with an imaginative three-course meal prepared by Executive Chef Matthew Niessner.
Tickets are $29 per person plus tax and processing fee for the luncheon and parking. Doors open at 11:45 a.m. and lunch is served promptly at noon. Limited seating provides an intimate experience with each speaker. CLICK HERE FOR TICKET INFORMATION or call the 24/7 ticket hotline at 1-800-838-3006.
Halls Chophouse is located at 434 King Street in downtown Charleston. Parking is available at the Visitors Center Garage on Ann Street between King and Meeting Streets, the Camden Exchange Garage between John and Hutson Streets, or at meters on the street.