SouthsideCentral is glad to publish all campaign announcements for the local elections. Fred Shanks is up next!
Danville, VA. — February 14, 2020— Danville civil engineer and small business owner Fred O. Shanks, III announced he will be seeking a fourth term on Danville City Council.
Shanks currently serves on Danville City Council, where he was first elected in May of 2008. As a member of City Council for the past 12 years, Shanks has served as member, Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Danville-Pittsylvania Regional Industrial Facility Authority (RIFA) for 12 years. He also serves on the newly created Staunton River Regional Industrial Facility Authority (SR-RIFA), 12 years on the Danville Metropolitan Planning Organization Policy Board (MPO), 4 years on the West Piedmont Planning District Commission (WPPDC), and 11 years on the Danville Utility Commission (DUC). Prior to serving on City Council, Shanks served 12 years on the City Planning Commission.
Shanks, a Danville native, is licensed as both a professional engineer and land surveyor. After graduating from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, he worked as a civil engineer with consulting firms in Richmond and Roanoke. In 1987, he founded Shanks Associates, P.C., a civil engineering, planning and surveying firm in Roanoke. In 1991, he opened a Danville office. In 1998 his firm acquired two land surveying firms in Martinsville, Virginia. He currently operates one office in Danville.
Shanks served as Legislative Chairman and Liaison for the Virginia Association of Surveyors from 1997 until 2009. During the twelve years in that position, Shanks appeared before House of Delegates and Virginia Senate committees and members to promote or shape many bills affecting engineering, land surveying, real estate, competitive bidding, environmental regulations and the homebuilding industry. Shanks held every Chapter and Statewide office in the Virginia Association of Surveyors,
including state President in 1999. He was awarded the Surveyor of the Year award by the Virginia Association of Surveyors (VAS) in 2001. The award was based on his statewide efforts as Legislative Chairman and Past President of the Association. He received the coveted VAS Certificate of Recognition in 2003.
He and his family returned to Danville in 1993. He has two sons who graduated from George Washington High School, Fred who lives in Danville, and Andy who lives near North Myrtle Beach. Shanks is a member of Ascension Lutheran Church, where he has served as Church Council president and on the Preschool Board. He is married to Kathy Shanks, a teacher and International Baccalaureate Coordinator at Galileo Magnet High School.
Shanks is a strong proponent of regional cooperation. Through his appointment to the Danville-Pittsylvania Regional Industrial Facility Authority, created Staunton River Regional Industrial Facility Authority, and the Danville-Pittsylvania County Metropolitan Planning Organization, he has seen and experienced the results that can be achieved through municipalities working together.
Shanks believes in the principles of the founding fathers. “These principles have served our country well, making the United States a world leader for almost 250 years. I feel very strongly that States rights, limited government, low taxes and fewer government regulations are essential to a private sector job creation, which drives our economy.”
Leave a Reply