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JGI Outdoor, a Houston-based billboard company with a favorable reputation for supporting first responders, has donated a billboard on the Katy Freeway which announces the HPOU’s support for Mayor Sylvester Turner’s reelection.
The brightly colored board doesn’t mince any words. It says the Houston Police Officers’ Union supports Mayor Sylvester Turner. Constructed Aug. 1, the billboard is located inbound on the Katy Freeway (Interstate 10) at Highway 6.
The idea for the billboard came from JGI owner John Gannon. In the past Gannon has engineered donated billboards singling out the bravery of Houston firefighters who died in the line of duty and for the Assist the Officer Foundation, which raises funds for HPD officers injured in the line of duty or who have incurred serious and costly illnesses.
Gannon set this latest project into motion by pairing ATO Executive Director Tom Hayes with Ellen Polonsky, a JGI sales representative known as “the Billboard Lady.” Hayes and Polonsky worked out the final design of the board.
Polonsky told the Badge & Gun that Mr. Gannon was very excited when he learned about Assist the Officer and was excited about the board put up on the Gulf Freeway right outside the Beltway. It followed up his company’s donated board on the Southwest Freeway at the precise site of where five Houston firefighters lost their lives fighting a motel fire.
The Billboard Lady recalled that Gannon met many HPD officers at an event sponsored by radio personality Michael Berry early this year, benefiting veterans suffering from PTSD. Gannon immediately learned that in order to support the Union he needed to get Polonsky together with Hayes, who also serves as HPOU’s third vice president.
It is well known that the Union continues its dedicated support of incumbent Mayor Turner, who will be seeking a second four-year term in November. Turner is facing a growing number of challengers.
Gannon’s question was easy to answer. The question: “Would you like me to put up a free billboard stating that the HPOU supports Mayor Turner?”
The immediate answer was YES!
Founder and President of John Gannon, Inc., Gannon established JGI Outdoor Advertising in August of 1994 with his acquisition of 40 billboards. Building on his experience gained as a previous owner of billboard companies in Austin and Houston and as a consultant for Outdoor Systems (now Outfront), John single-handedly poured the concrete for what would cement his legacy in the billboard industry. From a spare bedroom in his home, JGI Outdoor Advertising was born.
From a biography supplied by his Billboard Lady, we learned that Gannon is “known as one of the best “dirt guys” in the industry, John Gannon’s expertise and passion remain rooted in real estate. Even after more than 40 years of success finding billboard sites, John continues unpretentiously working from his truck, always on the look-out for new billboard locations to strategically add to JGI’s ever-growing 1,000+ billboard inventory all across Texas and into Louisiana.
Gannon is personally involved with numerous charities, causes and not-for-profit organizations that are very near and dear to his heart. Due to the large number of donation requests he receives, Mr. Gannon chooses to donate or provides pro-bono advertising to the organizations for which he feels a personal involvement/connection.
We now know that the Houston Police Officers’ Union is one of those organizations, alongside Assist the Officer.
