Meet Ruth Larson and John Curran, candidates for the JCC Board of Supervisors (Berkeley District)

Incumbent independent Ruth Larson is running against Republican John Curran for the James City County Board of Supervisors in the Berkeley District.

The Triangle reached out to both candidates running in this race and requested a biography. Each candidate was also asked to explain why they are running for this office.

Ruth Larson (incumbent)

Affiliation: Independent

Website: voteruthlarson.com

Biography: Ruth Larson has served the last 18 years in elected office and is running as an Independent candidate for re-election to the JCC Board of Supervisors for Berkeley District. Ruth is experienced in local issues. She is currently Chair of the Williamsburg Tourism Council which is helping to bring millions of dollars in revenue to our community annually keeping our tax rate low, and she previously served 10 years on the School Board, putting her in the best position at this particularly vulnerable time to negotiate for the County’s interests in the public school contracts when the City and County are deciding whether to stay together. She has been Chair of the Board of Supervisors and currently serves as Vice Chair. Among Ruth’s many accomplishments she was instrumental in creating the JCC Comprehensive Plan which won the ‘best’ category national award in 2023. Ruth understands how to attract and keep business in the area. Ruth was raised here, and her deep roots provide her with historical context about local issues, and she has loads of local contacts who reach out to her with their perspectives. As an Independent, Ruth represents the interests of ALL the residents of James City County.

What inspired you to run for this office?

I want to make a difference in local issues which are the ones that affect us most. Public safety, high quality schools, water, parks and recreation infrastructure, safe roads and fiscally responsible government are just a few of the number of things that are essential to our quality of life, and I want to provide the best outcomes at the lowest cost to the taxpayer.

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John Curran, Jr.

Affiliation: Republican

Website: www.vote4curran.com

John is an active community member, dedicated father, husband, and proud Navy veteran who cares deeply about the issues facing our community and is focused on improving the quality of life for his neighbors in James City County.

Mr. Curran served in the U.S. Navy where he was stationed at Naval Telecommunications Command in Washington DC. During his time there, he was detail to the Armed Forces Inauguration Committee to support President Reagan’s second Inauguration. Afterward, John was requested for temporary duty to the President’s staff at the White House. During this time, Mr. Curran was transferred to the Pentagon to support the investigation and response to the Johnny Walker spy case.

Mr. Curran was then transferred to the Chief of Naval Operations where he served with a Counterterrorism Team. He then served onboard the USS Kittiwake, where he was involved in the recovery of the Space Shuttle Challenger after it exploded on takeoff. Mr. Curran was also involved in multiple actions in South America and the Middle East. After being honorably discharged, he served in the US Navy reserve for an additional two years.

John brings more than 30 years of business experience in government contracting, construction, environmental and alternative energy as well as economic development around the world. Mr. Curran founded his own consulting business where he provided direct consulting services. Since then, Mr. Curran has provided support for President Clinton for his Welfare to Work efforts, President Bush on the efforts after 9/11, President Obama on his efforts with Gang and Drug Warfare and President Trump on his efforts with Alternative Energy infrastructure and Veterans Choice programs.

Mr. Curran then founded Agri-Based Biofuels. The company started converting trash to fuels, primarily focusing on US military clients. This expanded into all types of alternative energy sources and integration. While CEO, Agri-Based then merged with Eco-Integrators that worked in agricultural fields as well as D3 a business that provided Economic Development support to small and developing countries around the world.

Mr. Curran quickly became a known subject matter expert, and he was called on by the US Congress to testify multiple times on Energy and Environmental matters as well as the economic impact in those areas. Mr. Curran sold off the business to a Trust in Europe Union in 2018. At this point, Mr. Curran continued to consult with businesses and governments, mostly in transition. Mr. Curran also during this time completed his bachelor’s degree in political science and his MBA in economics.

John is committed to supporting parental rights in schools, protecting our children from violence and bullying and supporting our teachers. He is passionate about ensuring public safety in James City County by supporting our first responders with proper equipment and training. Curran is focused on our water resources and supports a proactive approach to increasing supply through new technologies and cost-effective solutions. Maintaining the beauty of James City County balanced with enhancing the amenities valued by residents is an area of great interest to Curran and key to maintaining property values and owners’ rights.

What inspired you to run for this office?

What inspired me to run was the clear need for a more proactive Board of Supervisors.  

I have worked with multiple areas around the world in creating long-term plans for communities. I have seen the growth within James City County over the past 20 years when my parents moved here. I believe it grew from around 20,000 to now just under 90,000 residents.  

However, with all the beauty and history we have, there are necessities that are missing from our growth. JCC has not developed a positive business environment to attract new companies that can bring actual career path employment, not to mention a needed tax base. 

We can’t implement zoning limitations that reduce the value of landowners and farmers in our area just to stop development. We need better and smarter development standards.

We need to look at every proposal for development, considering the location, the project,  the impact on our community and roads as well as the overall need for it. We can, under Article 6 of the Virginia Committee Development Authorities, implement taxes to developers to cover the cost to the County.  

Our water and sewer issues have been avoided by increasing rates to limit demand, with no solid efforts to bring new technologies into the County to provide low-cost solutions. 

We need to demand accountability for our schools, including transparency between the student,  school and parents. We should not only increase STEM programs but also vocational education to meet the increasing demands for skilled workers. 

I also support providing our law enforcement with the tools and equipment, as well as training and pay, to maintain a strong force. This will enable them to stay ahead of increasing crime and ensure our public safety, as well as combat human trafficking that is on the increase. 

These are all efforts that require experience and understanding of not only what is affecting our residents today, but how it will affect all of us in the decades to come. 

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