John Preece

John Preece
Candidate for Town Council 

I have always known about Jamestown. My father grew up in Newport, and we had family who lived here way back. When a position came up at URI in 1992, I convinced my wife, Katie Koken, that we should go for it and try to live in Jamestown. It was a bit of a reach financially even then, but we immediately realized we had settled in the right place. It’s the location. It’s the geography. But mostly, it’s the people.

We are proud to be a part of this community. I have served as a volunteer with the Fire Department for eight years as an EMT. Now I serve with the JFD auxiliary, COAST (Community Outreach and Support Team) which helps residents to live safely and independently in their homes.

Jamestown faces some pressing problems. Affordability is one. Limited water is another. These are not easy problems, and I would not be the first councilor to attempt to address them. Doing so requires stewardship of our resources and a willingness to look clearly at what we need to do. I come to this effort trained as a scientist, full of both the curiosity and the perseverance to solve our problems. Jamestown is a wonderful place to live, and we need to ensure that it stays wonderful.