By Mark Wineka
Salisbury Post
Linda Ketner, daughter of Food Lion co-founder Ralph Ketner and a longtime activist and philanthropist in Charleston, S.C., will be a U.S. House candidate.
Ketner, a Democrat, has set up a campaign committee and Web site (www.lindaketner.com) and says she will fight in Congress “to bring common sense solutions, fairness and compassion back to our country.”
She will be trying to unseat four-term Republican incumbent U.S. Rep. Henry Brown for the 1st District seat.
Filing for congressional seats in South Carolina doesn’t take place until March 17-31. Primaries are held June 10, followed by the general election Nov. 4.
Here’s an excerpt from Ketner’s Web site that talks about growing up in Rowan County:
“Linda spent the first part of her life in a little town called Faith, North Carolina, population 500. A town where “we watched out for one another and everybody mattered,” Linda says. She was blessed with a loving mom and dad who taught Linda and her brother, Robert, to work hard and smart, love and be loved by God, and that it was a privilege and responsibility to give back. Her much adored grandmother taught her that “God doesn’t work through elves at night.” She said, “He works through you and me! So if you see something wrong on this earth, you just figure out what needs doin’ and get at it!”Ketner is well known in Charleston for her work to improve housing and make it more affordable for working families, veterans and the elderly.
Over the years, Ketner has fought for gay rights, the homeless, women’s rights and against racism.
She has been president of the Coastal Community Foundation and Charleston Interfaith Crisis ministries.
Ketner has chaired the Mayor’s Council on Homelessness and Affordable Housing and the S.C. Housing Trust Fund.
She founded S.C. Citizens for Housing, the Alliance for Full Acceptance, Charleston Affordable Housing and the South Carolina Equality Coalition.
She established the Women’s Fund, Ketner Fund and Fund for Social Justice and oversees grants to community organizations working on various S.C. programs. She also has set up four scholarships for students at the College of Charleston.
Ketner used to work for her father’s company as director of organization development. In 1980, she formed KSI Corp., which specializes in leadership and management development. For the past 14 years, she has taught management skills to nonprofit groups.
She earned a bachelor’s degree in English and a master’s degree in sociology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Contact Mark Wineka at 704-797-4263 or mwineka@salisburypost.com.