John Taylor Chapman was first elected to City Council in November 2012.
As a fourth-term member of the City Council, John currently serves on the Northern Virginia Regional Commission, the Alexandria Sister Cities Committee, the City / School Subcommittee, the Alexandria Redevelopment & Housing Authority (ARHA) Task Force; the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership (AEDP) Board of Directors, the Transportation Commission, the Landmark Community Development Authority Board of Directors, the Ad Hoc Stormwater Utility and Flood Mitigation Advisory Group and the City Naming Committee.
He has previously served on the following local and regional boards: Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments Public Safety and Human Services Committee, the Local Emergency Planning Committee; Eisenhower Partnership Board of Directors; Eco-City Alexandria Environmental Action Plan Steering Committee; Alexandria Campaign on Adolescent Pregnancy; Gang Prevention Task Force; and the Children, Youth and Families Collaborative Commission.
Before his election to City Council, John served as an appointee to the Budget and Fiscal Affairs Advisory Commission; Vice President of the Volunteer Alexandria Board of Directors; Vice President of Membership for the Taylor Run Citizens' Association; First Night Alexandria Board of Directors; and former Vice Chair of the City’s Youth Policy Commission; and a former President of the Alexandria Branch of the NAACP, the youngest in the history of the branch. John also remains an active member of the Xi Alpha Lambda chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and Alfred Street Baptist Church.
John, who is a fourth-generation Alexandrian, graduated from Saint Stephen's and Saint Agnes School. He is a 2003 graduate of Saint Olaf College, where he received his bachelor's degree in Social Studies Education. John is also a 2008 graduate of the Minority Political Leadership Institute at Virginia Commonwealth University and a 2010 graduate of the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership at University of Virginia.
Professionally, he is a career educator and currently works as a Community Use Program Specialist for Fairfax County Public Schools. In addition, John is also founder of the award-winning Manumission Tour Company, which focuses on telling the stories of African Americans in early Alexandria through tours and presentations.
John has received a number of awards for his leadership and community service, including “Top 10 under 40” from the Virginia Leadership Institute; “40 under 40” distinction for the Envest Foundation; the Isabel Crocker Community Service Award from the Northern Virginia Urban League Young Professionals Network; a “40 under 40” designation from the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce; and a Men of Courage Lifetime Achievement Award.