Meet A Dad, Joe Campbell! After 28 years of working for Disney, Joe is enjoying being a Stay At Home Dad and volunteering in our community. Joe is also excited about adding a new role: Running for City Council Post 3. In our Q&A, Joe shares his background, why he is running for City Council along with his top priorities for Peachtree City Momand, and his favorite “Dad Hack”!
Q&A
Can you introduce yourself by sharing your name, a little about your family, and what led you to make this community your home?
I’m Joe Campbell. My wife is Carol and I have two boys, Jack and Grant. Jack graduated from McIntosh in 2024, and is a sophomore at Kennesaw State. Grant is a sixth grader at Booth. We moved to Peachtree City in 2018 from Central Florida – the original plan was for me to stay home for a year and help the boys get settled while my wife started her work at Delta Air Lines. Three things changed that trajectory:
So, I retired and became “CEO of the Household”, as my wife has declared. My days are full, I am actively involved in their worlds and volunteer with the City, our schools and with the local Boy Scout troop. I love every moment of this opportunity. Now, I’ve added on a new role: running for City Council Post 3. I want to extend the work I’ve been doing for my family and community, and have a lasting impact on Peachtree City as a whole.
What is your background? Tell us about your career.
For 28 years at Disney, I was in the business of solving tough problems — the kind that involve safety, logistics, and thousands of moving parts all at once. My job was to make sure the experience was seamless for families, even when the behind-the-scenes challenges were enormous. That career taught me how to lead teams, how to listen first, particularly to opinions different from my own, and how to cut through noise to find real solutions.
I started in an hourly, front-line role and worked my way up through a variety of leadership positions in Operations. I found I liked to resolve conflicts, and took a job in Labor Relations – reconciling disputes between the Unions and the Company. My final stint was in Resort Development – I helped build some of the most beautiful and complex spaces around the world. This involved detailed traffic and capacity planning, logistics coordination, and an extraordinary amount of gaining consensus under tight timelines and budgets.
What called you to run for City Council?
I have been on the Board of the Convention and Visitors Bureau here in Peachtree City, and I got a peek into city operations. I started regularly attending City Council meetings and work sessions, and frequently left frustrated watching too much political theater and too little substance at the local level. I know my experience makes me uniquely well-qualified to guide us forward, but in a way that is calmer and focuses on results. I’m running because I believe this community deserves a leader who will protect what works, fix what’s broken, and bring transparency back into decision-making. Moms deserve to know the city’s priorities are aligned with their families’ needs — from traffic safety, to overall safety (especially to a parent of a teen), to thriving parks to responsible budgeting.
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I was raised in an era where those who serve a community were role models. Great role models had such an influence on me, and I believe in that for our kids – it is part of why I am a leader with the local Boy Scout troop, and lean in to any chance to volunteer on a field trip or have some other positive interactions with our kids.
What are some of your top priorities for Peachtree City?
Traffic: We all know the bottlenecks. I will push for smarter, faster solutions that improve safety without destroying the village feel. A city-wide traffic study and master plan is essential – otherwise, the problem just moves elsewhere. This will take time, and a series of ‘no regrets’ moves can be activated immediately while that study occurs and plan is developed. My opponent wants an overpass at the 54/74 intersection, which I strongly oppose – I see that as in direct conflict with maintaining the village feel, and know of alternate ways to help alleviate that pressure.
Preserving village character: Growth should never come at the expense of what makes Peachtree City special for families raising kids here. In addition to my opponent’s proposed overpass, he wants to make space for large corporations in order to bring perceived tax benefits to the city. The reality is these tax benefits come in the form of tax breaks for those corporations to lure them here, not our residents. Overpasses and big corporate structures are not what this city was designed for – we have a very special feel here, a charm that brings daily joy. My focus is to protect that.
I also know we need to address a few targeted gaps – as just one example, I’ve heard loudly from the teen crowd (and adults!) that there is no safe place for the teens to gather in the evenings. So, they end up walking around Target and Walmart. There is a similar need for middle schoolers. We have great potential here to do something that improves safety and their quality of city life, and gives parents peace of mind. I’ve created some great spaces during my career that appeal to a variety of ages, and I am confident we can do something special .
Maintaining our strengths – safety & schools: Carol and I chose this city in large part due to its stellar reputation for education and safety. I will not, in any way, support erosion of those strengths. We do need to improve cart path safety – the recent changes to limit speeds needs to be enforced, we need greater visibility around corners, and a process to ‘permit’ young drivers once they’ve demonstrated responsible driving habits. I firmly believe cell phone usage on the carts should lead to repercussions, not excluding removal of ability to drive. Just like with cars, distracted driving in a golf cart is equally unsafe.
This also includes protecting our stellar educational offerings, doubling down on support for school teachers and faculty, and ensuring development doesn’t overload schools. High density housing would have a dire impact on our schools that are already feeling capacity strains. We need to maintain school zoning stability – our kids have had an extraordinary educational experience in Peachtree City, and we need to ensure we maintain this and not let growth overcrowd our schools.
Transparency: No more “back room” surprises. I’ll make sure citizens have clear, honest information so families know exactly what’s happening, and activate easy forums to gather more input. Online panels are great ways to capture quick feedback on a specific topic, and town halls are more robust conversation forums. We will have both – and a dedicated ‘Moms Panel’ for listening. My wife reminds me constantly that women make roughly 70% of household decisions – it is important to me that I hear from you.
Budgets: Fiscal responsibility matters. A millage rollback might sound great, but this year, it is a showman’s tactic – HB518 will prevent any changes to property taxes. And, if we go too far, it means cuts to police, fire, and parks. I’ll make sure decisions protect your family and your quality of life, not just win headlines.
What is your favorite “Dad hack”?
Having spent five years in foster care, I learned that consistency and showing up matters more than being perfect. My biggest “dad hack” is simple: listen first, then respond. Kids know when you’re really hearing them versus just waiting for your turn to talk. That’s how I try to approach everything in my life.
What do you love about Peachtree City and the surrounding areas?
It sounds hokey, but I love the people. Not long after moving here, I had my knees replaced. I remember struggling at the grocery store with trying to balance the walker I was using on the electric scooter. A lady comes up to me and says “Young man, I’m going to pray for you that your legs heal, and you have no more issues.” I didn’t know her, and she didn’t know me, and as she walked away, I knew we had picked the place to live. I love the greenery. I love that the city is an incredibly safe place to live, not just for me, but my kids too. Both my parents were teachers, and I love that we have nationally ranked schools stacked with stellar educators.
What TV show are you loving right now? Book? Movie? Podcast?
I’m an avid reader and have just finished “Billy Summers” by Stephen King (one of his best in my opinion), and “The Revolutionary, Samuel Adams” by Stacy Schiff. Next up is “James” by Percival Everett. My TV time is currently being spent catching up on “Wednesday” (don’t judge), “Peacemaker”, and “Dinner Time Live with Dave Chang”. Favorite podcast right now is a local one – “Closing Time with David Monsour”. By default, I’m also learning from Grant the latest and greatest gimmick Mr. Beast is up to, and of course, always rooting on the Steelers with my son, Jack
Is there anything else you would like to share with our Moms?
Yes. You are the backbone of Peachtree City. You juggle kids, schools, sports, groceries, and careers, and you deserve a city government that respects your time and doesn’t waste your tax dollars. I want you to know I see you, I hear you, and I will fight to keep this community a place where your kids can thrive.
I do need one thing from you – I need you to vote, and would be honored to earn your vote. Early voting starts on October 14- 31st at the PTC library. In non-presidential years, the voter turnout is largely the 55+ and older crowd – it is your community too, please have a voting plan. See my website –www.campbell4ptc.com – for info on an absentee ballot, early voting, and a reminder about actual election day, November 4th. We need your voice to be heard.
This campaign isn’t about politics. It’s about protecting the city where we’re raising our families. If you want results — not rhetoric — I’m ready to roll up my sleeves and deliver.
