Sherrod balances school, work, politics

Oct. 7, 2004
By Jody Ferres
Layout Editor

He attends SAU five days a week.  He owns his own business.  He volunteers in many civic organizations.  There isn’t much 26-year-old SAU senior Josh Sherrod doesn’t do.  And in the next couple of months, his ‘to Do’ list may just get a little bigger.

He’s decided to run for East Moline seventh ward alderman. 

“I want people to know who their alderman is,” Sherrod said.  “I’m a big, big, big community guy.  I want them to know they can come up and talk to me.”

An alderman is a member of a legislative body in a town or city with many jurisdictions.  They act as a ‘mini’ mayor for their specific ward.  If elected, Sherrod would serve about 6000 people. 

Sherrod, while finishing up his last semester of an SAU finance degree, has been hitting the campaign trail with flyers, t-shirts, yard signs and parades.

“If you put stuff out too early it’s not effective,” Sherrod said.  “I have some stuff on the bigger street corners in East Moline.  My campaign manager is helping with a lot of that stuff.”

It just so happens that Sherrod’s manager is SAU student Chris Mandle.

“I just believe in and admire the guy for wanting to be a younger voice,” 22-year-old Mandle said, who graduated this past spring and is currently working on his master's.  “If you’re in city government you can get in a rut.  Josh can shake things up.”

A sixteen-year rut is something the current seventh ward alderman in East Moline decided he didn’t want to be a part of anymore.  Crotis Teague, who has served his community since the late 80’s, decided to step down from his elected position, opening up the door for Sherrod.

And it’s a good thing because Sherrod said he wouldn’t run against Teague.

“When I found out he wasn’t seeking re-election, I wanted his permission to run,” Sherrod said.  “We talked for like 40 minutes.  I felt like he was passing the torch to me-saying this is who you have to talk to for this or that.”

Teague feels the St. Ambrose student could fit the ballot for Alderman.

“He’s a smart young man,” said the current seventh ward alderman.  “It’s one of the biggest wards in East Moline.  He’d have his hands full.”

Having his hands full is something Sherrod is quite good at.  Juggling being a full-time student, owning his own DJ business, working on Sundays at a bank and spending countless hours volunteering, Sherrod says is just second nature to him.

“I’ve always been a busy bee,” he said.

Just ask his mom.

“Josh has been one of those to take on three or four projects and see each through,” said his mother, Lisa Coleman, who Josh will be living with in East Moline.  “He’s always had big dreams and goals and now he’s pursuing them.”

Sherrod first caught the government bug when he was asked by the mayor’s son to join a new group about two years ago: the East Moline Democratic Club.  After a couple of meetings, he was hooked.

“The mayor asked me 'have you ever thought about going into politics?'" Sherrod said.  That same meeting Sherrod was voted in as president.

During his dealings with the Democratic club, volunteering at civic organizations, and frequenting the East Moline city council meetings, Sherrod made many ties to local people.  And when he found out Teague was going to retire, Sherrod made his decision to run for alderman.

Although some may fear Sherrod is too young for the position, he says his age is actually a good leverage point.

“I love East Moline.  My youth can come into play because I want to make some noise in East Moline and get things done,” said Sherrod.  “Most of my friends who went to school in East Moline graduated and moved away.  I want to change that.”

Other things Sherrod plans to address if he is elected are the lack of recycling in East Moline, the landfill and revitalizing downtown East Moline.

Former SAU employee and 2000 alum Mark Holloway feels that Sherrod is a good pick.

“I think the city of East Moline would be well-served to have someone of Josh’s integrity on their city council,” said Holloway, who served as advisor for Student Alumni Association.  “The thing I really noticed right away about Josh was his energy, willingness to be a leader and his entrepreneurial skills.”

Although the primary isn’t until February 22 and the election in March, Sherrod is strategizing his campaign moves and focusing on his last semester of undergraduate studies.  And no matter what, Sherrod says SAU has played an important role in his education.

“President Rogalski says don’t only take what you learn to your job but take it into your community,” said Sherrod.  “That gives me goose bumps because that is so true.  You have no greater gift then to give.”

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