Editor’s note: The Bulletin asked municipal candidates to provide biographical information. Below is the information provided by Saluda candidates.
Lynn Cass
Lynn Cass moved to Saluda from Macon, Ga., where she was co-founder, publisher and co-owner of “Macon Magazine and Here – The Essential Guide to Central Georgia” for 15 years.
She later served as executive director of the Macon Arts Alliance for six years. She also served as chairman of the Macon-Bibb County Transportation Authority, chairman of Hay House, president of Historic Macon Foundation and on the board and executive committee of The Georgia Conservancy.
She served on the Rotary Club of Macon and the Coliseum Health Systems (HCA) boards. She was on the Arts Leadership League of Georgia board of directors and was a co-founder of the Magazine Association of Georgia and a member of the advisory board of the University of Georgia College of Journalism and Mass Communication.
Cass was named the Small Business Owner of the Year by the Greater Macon Chamber of Commerce and received many awards for community service.
Now a full-time resident of Saluda, she serves as chair of the Historic Saluda Committee, is on the Oral History Project committee and is treasurer for the Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration. She is an associate member of the Saluda Business Association and a member of the Saluda Arts Festival planning committee and she works with the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area.
She chaired the Historic Saluda Tour of Homes in June of this year to benefit Saluda City Hall restoration.
She is a native of Douglas, Ga., graduated from Mercer University and is married to Michael M. Cass, a retired professor at Mercer University. She has two sons and two granddaughters.
John Morgan
John Morgan was elected as a Saluda City commissioner in November 2007. Morgan grew up in California and attended college at Washington State University and California State University, Long Beach, where he received a bachelor’s degree in accounting and later a master’s degree in business administration.
In 1993, Morgan retired from the United States Air Force after a 21-year-career that began during the Viet Nam era. The highlight of his career was having the opportunity to fly Presidents Bush and Clinton.
He retired again in 2006 after a career as an airline captain responsible for training pilots for his company. He is currently working in a part-time capacity training pilots for his former company.
John Morgan and his wife, Elena, also operate a small business in Saluda.
Besides serving as a Saluda commissioner, Morgan is a member of the Saluda Medical Center board of directors, a member of the Isothermal Planning and Development Commission board of directors and vice-president of the Lake Sheila Property Owners board of directors.
“I decided to run for elected office because I have strong convictions that we must preserve the Saluda we know and love,” Morgan said. “Some of our infrastructure was developed during times of limited resources and needs upgrading or rebuilding, which we are in the process of doing at this time. I was not in favor of and voted against the recent property tax increase. We need to develop alternate sources of revenue rather than having such a heavy reliance on property taxes. We have undertaken a number of initiatives since I have been in office, many of which are ongoing at this time. I would like to see these through to fruition and finish what I started. With the continued involvement of our citizens Saluda has a bright future.”
Leon Morgan
Leon Morgan was born in the Piney Grove section of Saluda in 1944 and lived in the Mountain Page Community until 1978.
In August 1963, he married Judy Anderson and they moved to Poplar Street in Saluda, where they live today. The couple has three daughters, Tammy, Tangela and Tonya, all of whom attended Saluda School and graduated from East Henderson High School.
They also have two granddaughters, Scarlett and Cynthia, and one grandson, Lathan, all of whom live in Saluda.
Morgan is a high school graduate and served in the U.S. Army from 1966 to 1968, serving in Vietnam. He was discharged as a sergeant E-5.
Morgan has been in the construction trade and furniture business for more than 40 years. Some of the pieces of furniture that he built have been featured in “Southern Accents” in September 1995 and “Southern Living” in October 1990.
He received his N. C. Contractor’s License (1971) and N.C. Real Estate license (1992).
Morgan was on the Saluda zoning board for three years. He is presently concluding his second term on the city’s board of commissioners. He has been the owner of a retail business – Somewhere In Time on Main Street in Saluda. Most recently he and his family re-opened the historic M.A. Pace General Store.
“By being a business owner on Main Street I hear and understand the daily concerns of the local citizens,” Morgan said. “I feel that by being on city council  I have made a difference to preserve the Saluda that I know and love for future generations.”