Owner, GADDIS Consulting Group
By Dawn Nolan
As a youngster growing up in Lincoln, Alabama, John Gaddis wanted to do what any young boy growing up in the birthplace of the Talladega 500 wanted to do—work for NASCAR. Unlike most other young men, though, he got his chance. As a teenager, Gaddis worked on a NASCAR crew, which isn’t nearly as glamorous as it sounds—it was a clean-up crew. “We cleaned up the bleachers in and around the track after the race was over,” he remembers, and despite the hard work, his love for NASCAR remains.
Gaddis developed another fascination early on that remains with him today. In the fifth grade, he watched as an uncle’s job was eliminated during a decline in the Detroit automotive industry. After being downsized, his uncle changed his career path to computers. It was then that Gaddis began moving towards a career in technology. He went on to attend Alabama A&M University where he majored in computer science with a minor in mathematics. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree, he taught math at a local community college before landing a systems analyst position with a Washington, D.C.-based company in the defense industry. When he was asked to relocate to West Virginia for six months for a new job, he had every intention of returning to Alabama afterwards. Six months soon turned into several years, though, and today he is still living in Morgantown. “I believe West Virginia chose me. Alabama is my home state, but West Virginia is my home. I love everything about it—the environment, the people and the potential it has to be an even greater state.”
Gaddis took his love of West Virginia to a new level when he ran for Morgantown’s city council. His purpose for running for the council was to give his community, Greenmont, one of the oldest communities in Morgantown, a voice. “It is my goal to revitalize the area that is my home. We have held community block parties and established a lively neighborhood association—all because I want Greenmont to be a community that is considered safe and a place where families sitting on their front porches are a common sight.”
The seat on the city council is a passion, but Gaddis’ commitment lies in his consulting company, GADDIS Consulting Group, which specializes in technology enabled business services and solutions. He believes that he got where he is today by his thirst for knowledge, the grace of God, prayers and hard work. His integrity and his willingness to never give up doesn’t hurt, either. Besides his parents, whom he admires for their work ethic and their willingness to help the community, Gaddis considers his mentor to be the late David Jones, his former Sunday School teacher, neighbor and one of the first African-Americans to hold a seat on the city council in his hometown.
“I remember having conversations with him over our fence post while he was in his yard gardening. He would always tell me, ‘Someone is always watching you so you must know that you not only represent yourself but your family, neighborhood and community.’ Thinking back,” Gaddis says, “I can see how this knowledge has helped prepare me not only for holding a seat on city council but also for future successes in my business and life.”
Gaddis is a true family man with a large, close-knit family who acts as the motivation for his success. He loves attending family reunions and has even put his Web-building skills to use by building an online site where his family members can share photos, tell stories and have discussions when they cannot see each other. His mantra is one that he heard constantly growing up: “You leave here with a good name. Bring it back that way.”
