Thought LEADership

Our Interview with Mayor Chris Rey

Thought leaders are the informed opinion leaders and the go-to people in their field of expertise. They are trusted sources who move and inspire people with innovative ideas; turn ideas into reality, and know and show how to replicate their success. Thought leaders serve, lead and inspire others to be Substantial. When Substantial Magazine first learned about this bright, and rising leader, we just knew we had to reach out with an opportunity for him to be our next cover.

So who is Chris Rey? Chris Rey is the current Mayor of Spring Lake, which is a town right outside of Fayetteville, NC near Fort Bragg. The citizens of Spring Lake say “Mayor Chris Rey – is one of the hardest working Mayors in American. He is always thinking globally while acting locally to address community issues.” Chris is a lawyer, a proud parent, and a loving husband. When Substantial Magazine sat down with Mayor Rey in his Spring Lake office we asked him to tell us just who Chris Rey is.

Chris: He is a guy who was raised by his grandmother and deeply invested in the church. Chris is a humble man who got all of his values from his grandmother. I was an All American in track and field and growing up being an athlete was an important part of my life. Growing up being a star athlete was my way of chasing the American Dream, I knew it would be my way to travel and see the world.

I went to college with plans to be a track and field star but ended up becoming a valued student leader on campus. While in college I found myself being an advocate for students and for the community, I found a passion and it was that passion and commitment to serving others that lead me to pursue a career in the Army. “I have lived my entire life in the service of others.” I went to law school because I knew I’d be given the opportunity to serve the people.

SM: So let’s fast forward to the now. What got you into politics and lead you back to Spring Lake?

Chris: Honestly it was my mentor at ECU, Mrs. Taffy Benson-Clayton. She introduced me to Congresswoman Clayton and that changed my life. Congresswoman Clayton took a arrogant sprinter and helped him understand the importance of people. She taught me how to see the connections in all people. I was able to find my voice through a woman who saw more in me than I saw in myself. I then knew that I had a voice. I found my voice and I found the voice of others.

SM: What are some of the things you have been able to accomplish while in office as Mayor of Spring Lake?

Chris: I would say our investment in education and infrastructure. Our city did a poor job of investing in itself.

You can’t expect other people to invest in you if you don’t invest in yourself. We had to invest in ourselves, so we could send a message to businesses that Spring Lake was a place to locate and prosper. We have created an environment of entrepreneurship. Through great leadership and teamwork, we have been able to overcome some previous obstacles and are setting ourselves up for the future.

“We had to ask ourselves what do we want to be when we grow up.” We want to be a smart city that invests in technology. We want to make Spring Lake attractive to both small and big business.

We also want to build a community that is committed to service and education. We had a program called read with the Mayor for an hour. For just one hour a week, we asked our citizens to find time to read in our 3 elementary schools. That program was very successful and we had over 150 volunteers. To me, that sent a message that Spring Lake is committed to educating the next generations.

SM: What advice would you give to a younger inspiring politician?

Chris: I would tell any young person they need to be mindful of their brand. What they are doing now will impact them in their future; believe it or not. Back when I was young we didn’t have Facebook and all these other social media tools. People today certainly have to be thinking about their digital footprint.

I would also tell them that this is hard work. Being about the business of the people is hard work. Folks don’t see how hard the work really is. As a leader, you have to deal with various personalities, various voices that want to be heard and at the table, you also have to recognize who is really for the people and who is pushing their own personal agendas. Everyone sees the speeches, the handshaking and ribbon cuttings, and assume that’s all we have to do. It takes hard work and thoughtful planning to get successful outcomes.

I would say to anyone. If you are in this thing for just you, then you are missing the whole point.

Understand that you have to be mindful of your brand, that it takes hard work, and importantly young leaders have to know that there is a cost. With leadership there is sacrifice. It’s a sacrifice from your family, your friends, and depending on what type of office you run for it’s a huge time sacrifice as it relates to your career goals. Understand that running for office doesn’t pay. You may get a small stipend but it doesn’t pay. I would ask them are they ready for the sacrifice?

SM: If you could change anything about the minority community’s perspective on success what would it be?

Chris: I would tell them to get rid of the assumptions that it’s not going to be hard work. You don’t wake up successful. I’ve been grinding since I was 19 years old honestly since 13 years old. Success is a developing process. I look at small successes as building blocks for the larger ones to come.

I think back at how hard I worked to be the best at track. That was my motivation and it was what got me to go to school, which lead to me going to college, which in turn lead to me getting my mind right. But I owe it to me working hard. You cannot stumble upon success; you work for it. All these artists and athletes didn’t just wake up and were instantly scholarship players, platinum recording artists, or first-round draft picks. Nor did leaders of big companies and major designers just instantly become rich and famous; it took hard work. I’m sure if you ask any of them they will tell you not only did it take hard work to get to where they are but also it takes just as much if not more to remain there.

Right now someone is grinding, while others are checking social media. Someone is taking an extra hour on the court, in the library, to get their skill right, to perfect their craft, or to gain the knowledge necessary to be successful. I have been hungry my whole life and even at 37, I’m still not full. A lot of people see me and see a finished product, but that’s not all of me. They didn’t see that my father wasn’t apart of my life, that I was raised by my grandparents and even though I was the fastest guy on the track, I didn’t have anyone cheering for me in the stands. I’ve worked and continue to work hard to reach my success.

SM: Looking back on your career, who are some of the influential people you ran into that have made a lasting impression?

Chris: First and foremost two people, my grandmother Ethel Rey, she raised me from when I was one year old until I walked out her door and Jeth Rey, my uncle he was a military vet, he served as a father figure to me. He is the greatest man that I’ve ever known. Those two people changed my life. I’m originally from St. Thomas and the purpose I moved to the states was to have a better life. They had a huge impact on that and I owe them everything because they laid that foundation for me. I had some great track coaches, which told me track could take me places I could never imagine. They told me I had a gift and a talent that with hard work could take me anywhere I wanted to go if I was willing to put in the work to get there.

SM: What are some key things that need to be addressed in and around your community? From a broader perspective, what are some things that you see need to be addressed as it relates to our nation?

Chris: Economic Development is a huge focus of mine. How can I attract bigger companies and how can I bring more jobs. How can I put money in the pockets of people? How do I help a man or women sustain their family? What are some creative things I can do to further develop Spring Lake? I’m continuously asking myself these questions and I find myself in various discussions on how to address them. There are some other social issues that are out there as well. How do we help convicted felons reconnect and essentially start over with their lives? There are issues out there that as a nation we need to address. For instance, how are we able to continuously get people back to work? A majority of fortune 500 companies are making more money today than they ever have; yet they’re doing it with fewer people.

We need more thought leaders in key positions. People that have the ability to see that the way we are doing business is not working as effectively. There are over 300 million people in our country. What does the real future of our economy look like? Listen don’t get me started on our current tax system. I’m saying there is a lot of work to be done and there are not enough people fixing the problems. There will always be those that point out the problems but have no real solutions for them. We need more thought leaders in our nation.

SM: Chris given some of the most recent events in the African American communities, what are some things you would say to our African American males?

Chris: Don’t think everyone is after you. There are some good people in the world, however, be mindful there are still some bad people in the world as well. I would say to our males before you pass judgment ask yourself I’m I doing the right thing. Make sure your situation is the right situation. The justice system is the only thing we still have to lean on. I wouldn’t say it’s perfect but it works. We have to make sure we’re doing the right thing. I would ask them to ask themselves “I’m I a credit to my community.” I get it, the road and the journey is not easy but as I said it takes “hard work.”

SM: Last question, what makes Chris Rey Substantial?

Chris: What makes me Substantial is I allow God to use me. By allowing him to guide me, my life has been an amazing journey and he has so much more in store for me.