- I am one of four generations of Tabors in public service. Our family believes government can be a force for good in people’s lives.
- Prior to serving as a councilor, I was a newspaper publisher and President of Seacoast Media Group from 1997 to 2018. Our team expanded the business from a $12.5mm to a $29 million company with 200 employees.
- Current chair of Prescott Park Arts Festival, Co-Chair of Portsmouth Listens, and past chair of the board of St. John’s Church.
- Recipient with Jim Noucas of the Mayor’s Award for Portsmouth Listens’ public process that shaped the 2005 City Master Plan (and was used again for the 2015 Master Plan)*
- Also served the community as Chamber president, United Way Campaign Chairman, Rotary Club volunteer, member of Mayor Evelyn Sirrell’s Task Force on Youth
- Co-founded the Portsmouth Press in 1987, an “upstart” newspaper that exposed local corruption.
- 34-year resident of Portsmouth where my wife Betsy and I raised our children, Laura and Max. We were Little Harbour parents and I coached youth lacrosse.
- Graduated Yale, 1977
SMG career here:
https://www.seacoastonline.com/news/20171204/smg-publisher-john-tabor-to-retire
https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnktaborjr/
*In 2003, Portsmouth Listens created a public dialogue involving more than 320 residents in 21 study circles. Their many hours of deliberations and citizen-led reports guided the vision statement and framework of the 2005 Master Plan, creating new policy directions around sustainability, preserving historic character, walk-ability/bike-ability, and making the other parts of the city as special as downtown. We used study circles again to get a new community-based vision for the McIntyre Project!
