Fisher’s community website, www.RadnorWard7.com, critiqued the five points of the plan, which included plans to prohibit uses that are long-established in Garrett Hill, encourage higher buildings, and relax parking requirements. For one of Radnor’s densest, oldest, most diverse, and most closely-knit communities, this was a red flag for the community, concerned that developers wanted to transform the character of the neighborhood. Garrett Hill is within walking distance of the rapidly growing Villanova University community and Fisher doesn’t want to see his neighborhood turn into a student housing area.
During October, with Fisher’s support, the Garrett Hill Coalition rallied more than a hundred citizens to attend consecutive Commissioners’ Meetings, organized themselves with officers and operating procedures, and won an agreement from the Commissioners to lead the process with their own selected people. Fisher’s opponent, who had been recently appointed by the Republican-controlled Commissioners, sat by until the Coalition was organized enough to bring its demands to the Commissioners, and then used his position to claim that he had supported the group. Apparently the voters, who gave Fisher 62% of the vote, saw through that claim.
Fisher also worked with citizens worried about a spike in crime over the summer by organizing a well-attended Town Hall Meeting on Crime led by members of the Radnor Township Police Department. In addition, he is a mover in the Interfaith Coalition for Inclusive Community, which is organizing a series of community forums on diversity issues.
Fisher had inserted himself in community issues last winter when Radnor High School, where his two sons attend, experienced a supposed “terrorist threat” and over-reacted against a student later found to be of no threat. Fisher eventually helped organize a District Task Force and wrote the Diversity Proposal document adopted by Radnor Township School District on diversity.
In answer to a supporter’s question about the origin of his interest in diversity, Fisher answered simply, “It’s just part of peace and justice for me.”
Management and computer skills empowered the campaign
With a management degree from the University of Pennsylvania (SEAS-Wharton) after engineering studies at Villanova’s night school, Fisher runs a successful robotics-repair firm. He is married to Jill Huentelman, a former high school English teacher from Seattle who came to Villanova for her MBA and stayed to form her own training company. Both entrepreneurial and computer savvy, Fisher and Huentelman organized their own campaign, designed their own sleek materials, developed a constituent/voter database system, and attracted dozens of enthusiastic volunteers.
When a supporter worried about his future with unfriendly opponents on the Board, Fisher’s answer was simple: “I’m used to working with all kinds of people.” More power to you, John Fisher.
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