Office: Jefferson County Commission, District 2

Party: Democratic

Age: 62

Residence: Birmingham

Political experience: None.

Professional experience: President and CEO, RAD Communications; senior official, Clinton Administration; various senior roles, state and local government; director of strategic communications, USAID in Kandahar, Afghanistan; equity partner, EcoHouse; staff member, 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.

Civic experience: Public safety committee

Education: Davis & Elkins College, Elkins, W.Va.

Main issues: Dickerson says there is a failure of elected leadership. He said too many children cannot read and there are too many neighborhoods where crime and violence are the norm. Dickerson said there has been zero job growth for the past 10 years, which has yielded a growing sense of hopelessness and despair. He said that the county budget exceeds $650 million and black firms receive less than 5 percent of contract dollars spent. Mediocrity is often the norm, he said. Dickerson adds that there is a failure to embrace the area’s past or to adequately plan for the future. He asks what message will be beamed across the globe to one billion people when the World Games comes to town? Dickerson also asks who will profit from the World Games?

Top contributors: IK9 LLC, $2,000; Landon Ash, $1,500; A HERO PAC, $500; The Collaboration Firm, $500; Campbell Guin Law Firm, $500; Phillip Melchers, $500; Milton Davis, $500; Raymond Richardson, $500; Robert McKenna, $500; Robin Rokapaugh, $500.

Campaign: https://www.facebook.com/dickersonforcommissioner/and https://dickersonforcommissioner.org/meet-richard/.