Let Me Introduce Myself
My name is Matthew Pavlov. I am running for Alderman in Ward 5. While I hope to meet you in person in the near future, I thought I may start by introducing myself to you and telling you a bit about what I believe and want to accomplish for you and your family. Please contact me if you have thoughts or ideas for our city. I want to hear from you.
WHO AM I?
I am a local. I have lived in Ward 5 since I was six years old. My family moved from Biloxi when I was five years old. We rented a house in Heron Bayou before moving into my childhood home on Government Street. We lived next to my grandparents who lived on Government Street for over fifty years. As a boy, my grandpa and I would wander down what is now Bayou Sauvole to fish on the banks of Davis Bayou and I would spend the summers crabbing with him when I wasn’t biking through Heron Bayou and Bienville Place or down Perryman with my friends.
I attended St. Alphonsus Elementary School and then Mercy Cross. I participated in local rec leagues throughout my childhood, and attended church at St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church, where I am still a parishioner. Father Farrell married me and my wife.
I attended the University of Notre Dame. The football games are better than advertised, but it is very, very cold. After college I swore to never live above the Mason-Dixon line again! So I returned home to teach religion and coach basketball at St. Patrick Catholic School. I taught for three years before finally deciding that teaching was not meant for me. Though I ultimately decided to go to law school, I took with me countless lessons about kindness, leadership and responsibility from the men and women who took the time to help me learn to teach and coach.
I am a graduate of Tulane Law. During my time in law school, I began to find a path in life that fits with the sort of man I want to be. I found a way to use my love of reading, writing and arguing to help people. And, again, I found people who were willing to help guide me on my path and help shape me into the man I am today. They taught me about ethics, professionalism, and the importance for standing up against injustice.
The most important thing to happen to me while I was in Law School was meeting my beautiful wife, Amanda. We’ve been married about 2 1/2 years and couldn’t be happier. You may see us walking our dogs around your neighborhood.
Since graduating from law school, I have worked for the Denham Law Firm in downtown Ocean Springs. We represent local individuals with their legal issues, whether it is a family issue, a bad contract, a injury, landlord-tenant disputes, a criminal matter or something completely off the wall, our goal is to help. I have been very fortunate to make a living doing what I can to help people on the Gulf Coast in some of their most troubling and confusing times.
WHY AM I RUNNING:
I am running because I think it is the right thing to do. I have been very blessed in life and this town has been very important to me. I have a civic responsibility to serve if I believe I can be of service. And I can be of service.
We are at turning point in our town’s history. Our downtown has been revitalized over the past twelve years, but growth has slowed and there are too many business dead zones. We have built a beautiful new, state of the art high school, but the area around it is underdeveloped. We have a town full of beautiful shops and professional businesses that help define the community identity of Ocean Springs, but an unclear vision for the eastward expansion of the city. For every answer found, twenty new questions arise.
We are at a cross roads. We need leaders with vision. We need leaders who are making decisions with the next twenty years in mind. We need leaders who will forsake the good ol’ boy network in favor of fighting for a new day of progress and success. Someone who understands that short-sighted decisions have long term consequences. Someone who respects the past and seeks to preserve what madethis town great but is unafraid to push us to greater heights.
I believe I can be that leader. I believe that with your support and guidance, I can help pilot Ocean Springs to a brighter future.
Matt Pavlov: The New Voice for Ocean Springs.