Bill Giannini is a life long resident of Shelby County. His longstanding commitment to our community has been evidenced through his work in business, in his personal life, and in his work with a variety of civic and political organizations. He is an active member of Christ Church (formerly Central North), where he dedicates his time to the music ministry, and his wife Michelle is very active in the choir and stage productions.
Bill is the grandson of Italian immigrants. His Grandfather, Louis Giannini came to America in 1915 seeking a better life for himself and his family. With little more than a grade school education, he married, raised two daughters and two sons, and always considered himself an American first. Bill was born in 1968 to Paul and Susan Giannini, the first of five children. Bills mother passed away in February of 2006 after a long battle with cancer, and his father, Paul still lives in the house where Bill grew up in Bartlett.
The Giannini family commitment to public service is clear. Bills father is a reserve officer for the Memphis Police Department. Two of his brothers, Paul and Brett, are full-time Memphis Police Officers. Carlye, Bills only sister, spends much of her spare time raising money for the Cancer Society in a variety of ways. Bills youngest brother, Ben, while only a senior in high school, already shows signs of the same sense of commitment to his community that the entire Giannini family shares. Bill has been married to his wife Michelle for ten years. They live in Lakeland with their three children, Olivia (age 8), Lucca (age 6) and Roman, (18 months).
Bill currently holds a real estate license in both Tennessee and Mississippi, where he works with Roebuck Auctions as a realtor, which has afforded him the opportunity to work with all types of property throughout our community. Above all, Bill is an entrepreneur. His first company, Giannini Foods, a wholesale specialty food company which started as a one man operation, eventually turned into a multi-million dollar enterprise with 15 full time employees. As big box retailers moved into the grocery field, Bill sensed the timing was right to diversify and he opened Little Italy Pizza located at 1495 Union Ave. in Midtown Memphis. Today, Little Italy Pizza is a regular destination for many who live and work in Midtown. While Bill does not run the day to day operation, on any given day, one might find him tucked behind the counter, welcoming customers, or sitting quietly at a table with friends or family.
Bill was elected Chairman of the Republican Party of Shelby County in 2005. He is the only Chairman in the history of the Party to be elected to two, consecutive, unopposed terms. Some of his predecessors include former Governors Winfield Dunn and Don Sundquist, current U.S Attorney David Kustoff, and longtime political activists such as Maida Pearson, Bill Watkins and John Ryder. As Shelby County demographics continued to shift, under Bill Giannini’s leadership, Shelby County Republicans held on to all of their county-wide offices in 2006, gained judicial seats, and held on in the Memphis City municipal elections of 2007. Good government has been, and will continue to be Bill's sole motivation.
Bill Giannini has a unique blend of civic, political, business, and real estate experience that make him the best choice for voters as the next Assessor of Property for Shelby County. His commitment to our community and his proven ability to manage large organizations, combined with his background in business and real estate will afford all taxpayers in Shelby County with an Assessor that will be friendly, fair, and most of all, mindful of how and where your tax dollars are spent.
