| Anton Gunn | |
|---|---|
| Member of the South Carolina House of Representatives from the 79th district |
|
| In office 2008–2010 |
|
| Preceded by | Bill Cotty [R] |
| Succeeded by | Mia Butler Garrick [D] |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 1, 1973 Portsmouth, Virginia |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Tiffany Johnson-Gunn |
| Children | Ashley |
| Occupation | Professional Speaker |
| Religion | Christian |
| Website | antongunn.com |
Anton J. Gunn (born March 1, 1973[1] in Portsmouth, Virginia) is an American politician who was a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives, serving District 79 which includes parts of Richland and Kershaw Counties. Gunn, who was elected to the House on November 4, 2008, was the first African American to be elected to the House of Representatives from District 79.[2]
Prior to his election to the South Carolina House of Representatives, Gunn was the political director for Barack Obama's 2008 presidential primary campaign in South Carolina and was the key figure in the campaign operation that launched Obama's run to the Democratic nomination for the 2008 presidential election.[3]
Gunn is a graduate of the University of South Carolina (USC)[4] and USC's College of Social Work,[5] where he played Division I college football for the Gamecocks.[6] Gunn worked as a community organizer and a nonprofit professional for twelve years in South Carolina and Washington, D.C. before getting involved in politics. He also taught community activism in the Women Studies program at the University of South Carolina in 2005. Gunn served as a delegate to the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado.
Elected on November 4, 2008, Gunn was the first African American in history to represent District 79 (Richland and Kershaw counties). While completing his first term in office, Gunn was one of the most active legislators sponsoring or co-sponsoring more than one hundred pieces of legislation during his first year. Rep. Gunn served on the Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs committees in the House where his subcommittee assignment was Medical Affairs, Children Affairs and Social Services. Rep. Gunn provided a key leadership role on all health care-related legislation assigned to the committee. He was the author and lead sponsor of legislation creating the General Assembly’s first and only Joint Electronic Health Information Study Committee to examine the feasibility of increasing the use of Health Information Technology and Electronic Personal Health Records in South Carolina.
On August 13, 2010, President Barack Obama appointed Gunn to serve under Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius as Regional Director of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for Region IV which includes Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. Gunn serves as the senior member of the Department of Health and Human Services’ Regional Office in the Southeastern United States.
Gunn represents the Secretary in direct official dealings with State, Local and Tribal government organizations by establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with Governors, Mayors, and other key State, local and Tribal officials. Gunn provides guidance and coordination to the efforts of HHS-Intergovernmental & External Affairs (IEA) staff in dealings with Federal and non-Federal government officials.