Member of: Rotary Club of Charleston CARTA COG (Berkeley Charleston Dorchester Council of Governments)   CHATS (Charleston Area Transportation Study, which conducts regional transportation planning with the COG)   I26 Study Committee, subcommittee of COG Air Quality Committee, subcommittee established by CHATS and COG   Participant: Our Region, Our Plan

Meet Colleen I am a native Charlestonian. My great-great-grandfather started Condon's Department Store. My first job was putting price stickers on men's socks in the King St. store. I learned that hard work and treating every person with respect and courtesy was a key to success. My sisters, cousins, and I also learned we should give back to the community which has been so good to us. I spent much of my childhood on James Island. Crabbing off my grandmomma's dock taught me to treasure our natural resources at a young age. My family moved to West Ashley while I was in high school. My parents still live on the same street, and my family and I live just a couple of miles away. I love the West Ashley area and hope my nine-year old son will settle close by when he's an adult. As a graduate from local Catholic grade schools and Bishop England, I was selected as a Presidential Scholar and Honors Program student at the College of Charleston. I worked throughout college in the tourism industry and graduated with a degree in Political Science.  I was elected as a student senator at the College of Charleston on the platform "Colleen Cares," and that platform is also the basis of my campaign for County Council. I care deeply about good government in Charleston County. After college, Blackbaud offered me an opportunity to enter the computer field. I started off answering hotline phone calls from schools regarding their grading, scheduling, and admissions. I traveled across the country to train and customize the software for these schools. I was privileged to later have the opportunity to manage that group of trainers and served on the Windows design teams and helped introduce and facilitate Blackbaud's community foundation software. I also met my husband Chris Johnson and many other wonderful folks in my five years at Blackbaud. While I prepared to attend law school at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, our son Cray Henry was born and I had a computer consulting business, NODNOC Solutions. During law school, I studied while teaching my son to walk. I founded the Entrepreneurial Law Association to offer pro bono (free) legal services to small businesses. I also was a founding member and Editor-in-chief of the North Carolina Journal of Law and Technology. My husband and I couldn't wait to come home to Charleston after graduation. I have a general legal practice with a focus in family law. I use my negotiating skills and business experience to help clients resolve conflicts in very difficult situations. My current and past community involvement includes: Blessed Sacrament parishioner, Volunteer Guardian ad litem for abused and neglected children, Girl Scout leader, Charleston Digital Corridor Foundation Board Member, Safe Moves Supervised Visitation (for parents and children) Advisory Board Member, Charleston County Democratic Party Executive Committee Member, Charleston County Citizens' Academy graduate, member of the Charleston Family Bar, South Carolina Young Lawyers Division Communications Director, People Against Rape volunteer and intern, NC JOLT (journal of law and technology) Board Member, St. Andrews soccer coach, Blessed Sacrament Altar Server Coordinator, and coach of my son's soccer team. I am asking you for the honor of serving you again on County Council because I enjoy using my energy and experience to address the problems we face in Charleston County: traffic, urban sprawl, and efficient and logical use of our tax dollars to provide real services countywide.  I will continue to work as hard as I can to protect our wonderful community and precious environment so our children and grandchildren can enjoy the Lowcountry as much as we do now.