Deborah Dean has announced that she will seek the office of mayor in the August municipal elections.

“I seek to serve the city I love,” she said. “ I believe Opp will grow and prosper when it works for all its citizens. Our city is full of wonderful, friendly, and caring people; people loyal to their town.

“They deserve to have a mayor that will do everything possible to make Opp the best place to live, work, worship, and raise their family,” Dean said.

Dean was born and reared in Friendship and moved to Opp in 1977.

She is an OHS graduate and earned a two-year degree at LBW Community college and her bachelor’s degree from Troy University. She is also a certified public accountant.

“I started to work at Opp-Micolas Credit Union while still a student in high school,” she said. “I am still employed there today. The credit union has remained even though Opp and Micolas Mill, the employer group that it was formed to serve, has long since been gone along with all the other textile businesses that Opp was known for.

“In my younger days you did not need a watch to tell what time it was because you were able to know the time of day by the sound of the cotton mill whistles that let employees know their shifts were over or about to begin,” she said. “I want to hear the whistles blow again for new growth and opportunities for all. We need to do everything we can to attract new businesses, but we also need to do everything possible to help and keep the businesses we have, by listening to their needs and affording them the same incentives that might be offered to new businesses.

“I humbly ask for your vote and support in this election. With everyone working together we can make this happen and see Opp once again be the City of Opportunity.”