When I was a child, my family largely ignored politics aside from whatever topics hit national news. I knew who Bill Clinton and George Bush were, but I couldn't name a single person who'd been mayor of the city I grew up in. Still can't.
As an adult, I still follow national politics, and I feel like I'm mostly well-informed when it comes to what's happening at that level. But I'm still a little shaky when it comes to knowing who represents me, and what their views are, in my local government. This project grew out of my desire to change that.
My name is Jean Schwab. I live in Greenville, SC, and my 2026 New Year's resolution is to attend Greenville County Council meetings to learn about the decisions that directly affect my life and my family.
In addition to just figuring out how everything works, I'm also interested in following Greenville County Library's Board of Trustees and Greenville County Schools more closely. I'm going to write about my adventures to 1) keep myself accountable and 2) hopefully provide a roadmap for other people who want to be more active in local government.
Whether you live in Greenville or not, feel free to subscribe and follow along as I get involved in local government for the first time!
Most of the photos on my site were taken by Aden Albert Creative LLC. You should check out his work!