Representative John Gillespie

John Gillespie is serving his second term in the Tennessee House of Representatives. He represents House District 97 which includes most of East Memphis and parts of Cordova. John serves as Vice Chairman of the Criminal Justice Committee. He is also a member of the Education Administration Committee and the Health Committee.

John is a native Memphian and son of Elizabeth and Trow Gillespie. He has two brothers, two nieces, and a nephew. John graduated from High Point University in North Carolina where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. He is a longtime member of Saint John’s Episcopal Church on Central Avenue.

His professional career began in the banking business at First Tennessee. John learned the financial business from the ground up. He started as a Financial Service Representative opening new accounts and serving as the face of the bank. He later moved to Evolve Bank and Trust where he worked in the mortgage division. John reviewed home loans to ensure compliance before families closed on their new home.

John previously was employed as Grant Coordinator at Trezevant Episcopal Home. He wrote and researched grants, planned events, and solicited major gifts at Trezevant.

John serves on the Memphis-Shelby County Crime Commission Board of Directors. He is a member of the Phoenix Club of Memphis where he’s helped raised funds for the Boys and Girls Club. John served as Assistant Campaign Manager for former Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell’s successful 2010 campaign and was active in other campaigns prior to his election as State Representative in 2020.

John is a mainstream conservative who has earned a reputation in the House for his focus on public safety issues. He was a sponsor of Tennessee’s “Truth in Sentencing” law requiring violent felons to serve their entire prison sentence. John works with Representatives from across the state to crack down on violent crime impacting our communities. He understands reducing crime will boost long-term economic growth in Memphis.