JA Moore was born in Orangeburg on March 6, 1985 and raised in Hampton, South Carolina. He is a proud product of South Carolina public schools. JA earned his degree from Johnson & Wales University in 2005, as a member of the last graduating class of Johnson & Wales University Charleston Campus.
Moore is a progressive leader with more than 18 years of public service and two decades of experience in hospitality management. His community involvement includes roles with national and local organizations with a focus on access to world-class digital strategies for campaigns, electing new generational leaders, food security, gun violence, small business development, and youth wellness and development. Some of the organizations he has worked with areTech for Campaigns, Win The Era, Lowcountry Food Bank, Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, Lowcountry Local First and North Charleston Recreation Department.
In 2018 JA defeated an incumbent for the South Carolina House of Representatives District 15 seat — the incumbent was the Assistant Majority Whip. With his win, Moore became the only professional chef elected to any statehouse in the United States. On November 3, 2020, Moore won re-election again.
Moore has been featured on CNN, Yahoo News, C-SPAN, Fox News, CBSN, MSNBC and have been quoted in New York Times, Washington Post, LA Times, Time Magazine, just to name a few. He is a Future Now Fellow, recipient of the Inaugural Run for Something Getting It Done Award, named 2021 Charleston Regional Business Journal Forty Under 40 & 2020 Charleston Business Magazine’s 50 Most Influential.
JA’s father was a Civil Rights Leader (Montford Point Marine (recipient of Congressional Gold Medal in 2012) founder president of Hampton Branch of NAACP & founder of the Hampton County Committee for The Betterment of Poor People) and community advocate. His mother is an educator and was the director of the Hampton County Committee for the Betterment of Poor People. He is the proud father of two year old of daughter, Mariah Rae Love Moore. In 2015 Moore’s sister, Myra Thompson, was tragically murdered at the Mother Emmanuel AME Church in Charleston, SC. Later in the same year his brother was killed. These life events were the catalyst for him running for office, and fuel the fire within him for public good.