THE POWER OF PLACE

Settings that tell a story

On strong female role models in her family: I come from a line of strong women. My grandmother, her name was Agnes, was very active in family politics and so was my mom. I carried that tradition on. We also participated in the American Indian movement, because we weren’t terrorists; all we were asking for was better health, better education, and better community services for our people.

On Nebraska’s unicameral legislature: I think what we’re fortunate to have now still in Omaha and still across the state is that people who are willing to serve, who are willing to dial into the issues as they are in their districts vs the way their official party position would push them. I think we’re fortunate especially in a unicameral system where it’s officially non-partisan. I am one of now 12 registered democrats in a body of 49. I would get no bills passed I would get no bills out of committee if we were going strictly on a partisan basis. So, I really think that we have a strong remnant of that populism that is the culture of Nebraska … Your job is to be a public servant. What are you going to do to address this issue?

How poverty has shaped her vision: The history of this community where prostitutes would find themselves walking these streets. And what this block meant before this library was here. It [would] just have a holistic meaning for me, and for the black community, and for communities of color and for those of us who have walked that path of being in poverty. It has a meaning and it allows me, as a state legislator, to look out into the community and visualize where we used to be and where we are and those struggles that it took to get to this place but also visualize where we are going to be. In a place that continues to represent the values of justice, fairness, and inclusiveness.

On her role as a black politician: For a community like this community, where I’m learning that so often we don’t see ourselves connected to a political process, that we so often don't believe in government, or trust government. It is helping them to believe in government… If we’re gonna impact government then those decisions have to come from us, moving it. Because government doesn't always work for communities of color, we have reason not to trust government, policies have been created that kept us into place, that didn’t support us advancing. I understand that. But in order to create the change that we need, we need people inside of government, moving government too.

Why she became a disability rights advocate: I was very young when I had my first child, and when he was little I spent a lot of time in intensive care units and hospitals and therapy places and started to notice that the privileges that I had meant that he was making faster progress than other kids whose disabilities organically might not have been as severe. And the differences that I saw when people didn’t have access to healthcare or educational privilege or the confidence to feel like they could push back against authority were kids that then couldn’t talk or had to eat by a tube instead of by mouth and it seemed like such an injustice that those things could predetermine your entire life starting in infancy. So I started advocating for young kids with disabilities.

On switching from advocacy to serving as an elected official: As an elected official I think I have to be more pragmatic than I was as an advocate. I believe that the role of an advocate is to be insistent and constantly push the boundaries. When advocates push the boundaries it allows and empowers elected officials and policy makers to find a pragmatic path forward. When I first went to office it was hard for me to find that balance and recognize I had to be more careful sometimes about the way that I said things and think about how I bring people along instead of try to force them along. And that really is the difference: an advocate is pushing, and I think an elected official or a policy maker is really trying to encourage and pull people along.

To learn more about Oregon State Senator Gelser and her youth nominee, Rachel Simpson, read this blog piece. To learn more about her self-advocacy, click here.

On her political beginning: I was the kid who grew up in union halls, and headquarters for political campaigns, and stuffed mailboxes, and licked envelopes, and that was all before the age of six ... My family was always involved politically and my father made it a point, we didn't have a choice — we had to help even if it was stuffing mailboxes.

On why she chose the ore walls at Steelworkers Park as her poignant place: I decided to be photographed at the ore walls because it is the symbolic epitome of what this neighborhood once was. It was a vibrant mill town… It was the hub of the neighborhood... Everything this neighborhood did revolved around the work that came from the steel mills… My roots started in the steel mill, I learned to be union strong from my father and from the people in the 10th ward, so I thought that it was very appropriate that I would come back to where it all started.

Her circuitous route to public service from advertising: As a result of wanting to work hard for him as his spokesperson, I got to understand the issues in the community and had lots of face time with the constituents and fell in love with the job. No longer did I think that the new look of the coca-cola can was that important when I could be changing people’s lives with public service.

The influence of soccer on her political career: Soccer taught me so many things that have been absolutely instrumental in my success as a politician. I can credit lots of things to where I am at today, but I don’t think there is anything, besides the love and support and belief of my parents, that has contributed more to my success and who I actually am as an elected official today than soccer. Playing organized sports, specifically that sport which is such a passion and love for me taught me everything I need to know to be competitive and, hopefully, a gracious winner. And at times, unfortunately, I have to understand that I lost and I have to pick myself up and keep moving.

On Inspiring Her Daughter: I chose to have my daughter with us too today because a lot of what is very important to me is creating in her a sense of empowerment and strength and confidence so that she knows that she has a place in the world as a leader.

On Embracing Fear: Every single day that I do my job there is fear that I have to conquer about something that I’m doing. Whether it’s speaking on a certain subject, whether it’s dealing with a certain person, whether it’s making a decision to run for leadership, making a decision to run for a different office. All of those things. You’re constantly filled with fear, I think it’s a very human thing. And I think that it is something that I embrace and want to feel. It’s what makes us do better and push ourselves and make ourselves more alive.

How She Entered Politics: My road into politics was through a volunteer and then an organizer working on marriage equality in Iowa, and it was incredibly empowering to see people gather together, work together, and ultimately preserve the freedom for gay and lesbian couples to marry in Iowa for six years until finally marriage equality became the law of the land because of the [2015] Supreme Court decision. 

I’ve always been concerned with justice, fairness, who’s sitting alone at the lunch table, what’s not right, what we should do about it. It’s been something of a quest in my life. 

Her Thoughts on Women Running for Office: Women, in contrast to men, frequently think that they may not have as much education as other people, and this is not the case at all. Men are often more likely to jump right into running for office but the research shows that as women, we seem to tell ourselves that we’re not qualified, that we don’t have as much education as other people, we don’t have as much experience, and this is not the case at all. 

Every woman has to find a balance in life of processing feedback, and processing information, but also being confident in your own convictions, your own skills, and your own ability to research and assess the situation. And that can be very difficult, especially when you take the step out to become a candidate for office, because you have a lot riding on it. But I think you find, more often than not, that you are a capable person. 

What motivated her to run for office: I saw so many people being left out of the economic opportunity in Boston and so many people being pushed out of their communities. My background is in community organizing and I dedicated my career to child advocacy an working to strengthen our public schools here in Boston. I wanted to bring that voice of the community and that advocacy that I had been doing for a number of years to the city council so that we could do something around the tremendous wealth gap that we see in our city, the growing income inequality all throughout our country, as well as help people stay in their communities and their homes.

On why sexism does not deter her: Many people believe that politics is for men. I remember this poster I have on my office wall at city hall that I’ve had with me since the 1990s. I was doing community organizing work in the 1990s. This particular year was 1996 and this poster was meant to encourage women to vote. We needed to vote as a block. We have real power if we just use our vote. Here we are more than 20 years later and the encouragement isn’t for women to vote but for women to run. I think that is a powerful change over the last 20 years.

On her relationship with and the history of East Portland: They have been really historically ignored by the core city of downtown Portland. Everybody thinks about it as this Progressive green bike-friendly public transit-friendly City, and it is in its core, but when you come out to here which is just as Portland is downtown it feels very very different… In fact, where we're at has the highest crash Corridor in the state of Oregon here at 122nd and Powell Boulevard and so I represent this area and have been really focused on giving East Portland a voice. I feel a particular affinity for this area because while I grew up in rural Oregon with my dad, my mom lived literally on and off the streets of East Portland. And so when I had the opportunity to represent East Portland in the Oregon house, I obviously kind of immediately jumped in as a voice and a loud voice and it times in obnoxious voice but making sure that this part of the city gets the attention they deserve.

On her father and his support of her political career: My dad passed away almost 10 years ago but I did know that I wanted to run when I was younger and I used to tease him because he was such, he was such a republican but he was such a wonderful dad… I used to tease him and say that if and when I ran for office even, if I ran as a Green Party candidate, that he would cover himself in my buttons. He's actually buried at the Willamette National Cemetery which is just literally the border of my legislative district and so every election cycle I always bring a lawn sign and a bouquet with a button and put it in his grave because I know that he would have been really proud.

On women and equal representation in politics: Women are 50%, and some people say more, of the population. There is a different experience growing up looking at the world through a woman's eyes…It means something to have 50% of the population, only have people making laws that control their lives who have never lived in women's skin.

Her role on the town council and community: I think that my role… being on town council, and being involved in the community is to make sure that people of color who are in this community realize that we are a part of it. We are a part of this community, that’s why I thought it was important that we had the statue of Sojourner Truth because she was a part of this community, she left her foot print on this community. 

What motivated her to be on the town council: We were the first black family to move on this side of 9W in the town of Esopus, I guess that motivated me too, to become apart of the town council because I believe… I have a right to be here and I’m glad I’m here. 

Read more about the interview with Evelyn Clarke on our blog!

Inspiring future generations: I would not be in my role today if I had not been invited in by the now mayor of Minneapolis when she was in my position. One of the organizations that recruited me to run for my position asked me if I could see myself in this role. There are a lot of barriers [preventing women from seeing themselves in elected roles] but I am very hopeful that the next generation of women is able to do so.

Why she ran: I really believed that we needed a new leader in the city of Compton. I believe that the mayor is the image of the community and I really believe that Compton suffers from a negative image. I decided to run to be able to combat that stereotype and to be able to shift what people think of Compton and actually put some facts to the fiction.

I approach my community with a lot of love. Like anything that has been neglected, you have to really love it to revive a certain level of human dignity. And I think Compton is a community that has been neglected and suffered abuse. I love my city, I love my constituents, and Compton is a city where a little love can go a long way.

On her mother’s mother: I never met my grandmother, my mother’s mother. She was actually murdered here in the city of Compton. My mother always told me about the relationship she and her mother had; they were very close. My grandmother was a strong woman and was really a trailblazer, as one of the first African-American women to serve as a nurse practitioner in one of the hospitals here in the region. She was an advocate for those in need, and she was concerned about the care of workers as well.

On her role model: Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, he has been a champion for the community for several decades. The fact that he has exhibited a stellar track record while being in politics for almost 30 years is definitely a testament to his leadership abilities. Also, looking at the outcomes, he’s really been a champion to shepherd in a revitalization of Martin Luther King hospital, which directly serves the Compton community. When the hospital was shut down, that was the difference between life and death for many residents that were under critical care, and him making certain that we have the resources to serve our community is to be commended.

Place of special meaning: Going to high school here brought a lot of diversity to my life, and it helped me to realize the importance of culture and learning someone else’s history. Northeast High School is the place where Oklahoma City Public schools were integrated. It was behind a case for the second elected black official Dr. A. L. Dow. He wanted his son to go to Northeast because it was closer to them. He filed a suit against Oklahoma City Public schools and eventually won, although his son aged out by the time he won. He was able to integrate all the schools for Oklahoma City, hence why I was able to attend this school and be a part of the biomedical sciences program.

My particular election has been the most voted election for any city council race that we know of this far in our history. So it speaks to the importance of people wanting that representation. It speaks to the importance of making sure there is someone that can speak to the community’s needs. And it also brings about why local government is so important when we are looking at changes that we want made in our communities.

Communities uplifting each other in politics: I’m grateful that I can call someone and say can you help me? And they don’t have a problem saying, ‘Yes what do you need?’ I’m thankful that some of them reach out to me before I reach out to them to say ‘I’m here, let me know if you ever need me.’ That's what we need, [we need] to make sure we are doing this in our communities when it comes to those who have been elected and sit in these seats. We have to encourage our younger generation. We have to encourage even the older generation, if it's their first time. We have to just make sure we are speaking their name, and speaking their truth, and speaking their power to make sure that they are able to be successful in that position.

The power of getting involved in politics: To girls and young women who say they don’t want to get involved in politics, be involved in politics. Let me tell you something what a wonderful way, you see a problem and if you’re elected to office you have the power to change it, to solve it. That’s an extraordinary position to be in… You can make a big big difference.

Why fight for climate action: What inspires me, especially now, is my granddaughter looking me in the eye later and saying, why did you do nothing, you had a chance to do something but you did not. I do not ever want to be in that position. I consider myself a fiduciary for her and her generation and the generations after that because we have the power now to take action and if we don't shame on us!

Her responsibility as a councilwoman: I am in local government, so I do a lot of the boots on the ground assistance and its things that are small, negligible to some, but actually mean the world to somebody.

An inspiring book for young women: A few months back I actually read the book Represent: The Woman's Guide to Running for Office and Changing the World by June Dianne Rafael, and that book I recommend to any woman who is considering any form of government because it was such a motivator and throughout the pages they are telling you, ‘keep going, we need more women like you. I highly recommend everyone to read that.

More information about councilwoman Sonia Frederick can be found here.

Her direct involvement with Washington: We go to the Senate. We go to the House and Congress. We fight for funding. We fight for gaming because gaming has helped us sustain ourselves, for education, health, welfare, housing, water, sewer. So, without gaming we wouldn’t have a lot of those entities.

Her father’s influence and the role of women in leadership: Yes, [leadership for women] was accessible. In Dakota ways, women are always the strongholds of a home. So, Dad was raised by his grandma but his aunts also had a big influence on his life. He was always very supportive of women on tribal council. He had confidence in me. Even after that first term, he would always say, “We got to support Lu. She’s got a college education.”

More information about Prairie Island Indian Community can be found here.

Title IX and leadership: I can’t say enough about the role of women being involved in athletics. I think it really teaches us to be strong and to be teammates, and to really concentrate on ourselves as people of value, and not only our bodies’ value, but also our minds. Of course now, there are so many statistics between women athletes, or even women who are in choir or debate. It is showing that it really helps to make them strong and powerful and hopefully leaders as they move on in life.

How she recharges: I love working with projects like this, the Power in Place project. I love working with other women in particular who really care about changing the world and making a difference and inspiring young women to be the next in line to do this. That really gets me pumped, gets me jazzed, gets me recharged to do this. I also love to live out here in the Rocky Mountain West, and go skiing and raft the rivers, and occasionally have a micro-brew.

On female legislators: We are very hard working. We get in there and we really look at the issues. We listen. We learn and we get things done. And I think that that really is a mark of female legislators.

On the record number of women who ran for office in 2018: It was a turning point. That it was a watershed moment and it’s a time when the momentum shifted. And that more women started asking the question, why not me? To get involved. To get engaged. To see the fact that they are viable candidates. That they are just as strong, just as intelligent, work just as hard if not harder I would advocated. Why not me?

Place of Special Meaning: Our farm is a working farm. When I first came back in the 1970’s that was the first thing I started doing-- running a little farm. I’ve been doing it on and off ever since. I am absolutely happiest when I’m digging in the dirt or working with animals, or frankly working with our customers and showing them how wonderful it is to see where your food is grown... Everybody in those days had a copy of the book by Helen and Scott Nearing called Living the Good Life, and it was all about this back to the land movement, and I came up to the island once I’d finished high school and I never left.

On women running for office: I learned quickly that the biggest enemy I had was myself, because I was so convinced that I didn’t look the part, and I was also so convinced that unless I worked harder than anyone had ever imagined… I thought I had no chance, and I think sometimes for men it’s more traditional. They wait for someone to ask them to run, and they expect that they will be elected. I’ve seen over the years, twenty plus years of doing this recruiting other women and helping other women, you have to convince women to do it, they work so hard, they have such low expectations, yet the voters are often much more trusting of women… Voters connect with women, and I think it’s a barrier, but then we work harder and are much more likely to get elected.

Her take on fighting for equal rights: It is really important for us to be able to articulate our sense of vision of the community, which hasn’t been afforded for a long period of time. And so, I have really felt very strongly that communities of color particular need self-determination, visibility and voice.

On forming bonds among marginalized communities: It is fine and very well for people to come out of their individual communities, but at the end of the day it has got to be about a bigger piece than just individuals and neighborhoods. It has got to align with a broader set of city values. I think what we have been able to do very effectively, we spend a lot of time thinking about, is building coalitions with a lot of communities that are facing similar circumstances, and how do we become stronger by finding alliances instead of just divisions.

Place of special meaning: The Bridgeport Café is one of my greatest loves in the community. In most neighborhoods, this would just be a deli or a sandwich shop, but you don’t find these in the inner city of Cleveland as I suspect in most cities. To have a place like this, it’s an oasis. Not only can you get good, healthy food but you meet good people from all over the city. They come here from everywhere to have lunch and to meet and it’s just a nice, quiet, serene place.

Shared traits with her mother: I think my determination. I call myself laid-back, but I got a backbone and I’m a very determined person for the things I want to do and that matter to me…For the things that really matter, I’m just resolute that I am going to do whatever I need to do. In many ways, I am a stealth person. I’ve always operated under the radar because I’m not one of those that are going to command all the attention. So, while other folks are talking and doing, I can just move right along, do what I want to do and usually get what I want done.

On her mother’s mother: She is one of the strongest women I have known. She has taught me that you never stop working, you never stop learning, you never stop moving, and that inspires me. If I can live a life as strongly as she has lived her’s and live so many years in 90 years, I think that I will have succeeded.

Connections between her teaching career and holding political office: Teaching really helped me to learn how to work with all sorts of different people with all sorts of different learning styles. It certainly has taught me to respect all opinions and recognize that an opinion on a political issue doesn’t necessarily define a person. I think that both of those things have really helped in terms of preparing me for political office.

Place of Special Meaning: It really represents a lot of things because I will come here periodically. When you look at the flowers, you look at the wonders that, you know, we have here on Earth and things that, you know, you take a seed you planted and how it grows. And a lot has to do with how we can plant our seeds here among each other or plant just around us and the karma that it has. And being able to have it grow and really to be able to do more in our community. 

Empowerment through Education: I teach at Passaic High School currently. And I've started my career there and I teach business education courses. I was in corporate America, started my career there...It was a great balance in transition into teaching because I believe our youth need to be empowered. And what better way to empower them with them, with the tools that they need to really have a grounding in order to compete? We have come, you know, into a digital age and in that digital age, we need to make sure that our youth have the training. They know how to work electronics, but they know how to work electronics more so for fun versus utilizing them to really advance their career in what they want to do.

Her take on women running for office: Women always face some additional challenges in getting people to give them the credit and respect at times that they are due but, of course, don’t always receive. The public can be critical. The media can be critical... There are some benefits too [like] the ability to be seen as compassionate and empathetic and someone who cares for children and families and people.

Place of Special Meaning: When I first started in law school, I loved coming to work. You walk up to the front steps, and it says Missoula County Courthouse, and it was such an honor to work on behalf of the citizens here and to stand in a courtroom and advocate for enforcing the laws and doing what we could to help our citizens. I love doing it, and it meant a lot to me. It set me on the course I’m on today in the legislature. I wouldn’t be here now if I hadn’t started working as a prosecutor, enforcing the law. I work in the legislature now because I realized I wanted to do more than enforce the law, I wanted to change it. I saw that there were things that needed to be changed, and so I wanted to change the law, and write it, because I knew we could be doing it better.

Inspiration Cafe: The mission was always to treat homeless people with dignity and respect. That mission has always resonated with me, so I think that in everything you do, whether you are running a non profit cafe, or you serve, as I do, as the Attorney General, you should work to treat people with dignity and respect. You should work to ensure fairness and pursue justice.

Why she ran: I wanted to do more. In the midst of all of this, I’d gone to law school. I was working in private practice and at the time that just didn’t satisfy my soul in terms of being able to give back, in terms of being able to help. I decided to run for office.

I served in the Senate for four years. That time in the Senate, probably still to this day, you represent about 200,000 people, but I decided to run for statewide office because then I could have a much greater impact. Truth be told, it’s not just an impact on the 13 million people here in the state of Illinois, but oftentimes it can be a nationwide impact because a lot of the work that we ultimately do can be at the forefront of some of the most significant issues impacting people.

On female politicians: And an older gentlemen came up to me… and told me that I couldn’t be president because girls weren’t presidents. And I remember running back to my mom… in the democratic headquarters, wondering why this man said I couldn’t be president. And I remember all of them saying because there was no female president yet, but that didn’t mean women couldn’t go into politics. 

On being an artist: You know whether its composition or color theory, you look at everything through a different light… But I think being able to think outside the box and not taking things at face value is part of what makes you and artist, and I think that makes me a stronger politician.

Place of special meaning: We shot the portrait over on Pier C on the waterfront of Hoboken. The waterfront, is really the treasure of our city and so at least twice a week or three times a week I’m walking my dog there or running there; I just absolutely love it. I’m very proud of the parks that we’ve brought to the city. It’s also a place that reminds me of how important it is going to be to make sure that Hoboken is resilient into the future, where we’re really on the frontlines of climate change and I believe that is the biggest issue facing our city and our country. It’s a place that reminds me that we need to keep working at it - keep protecting our city.

Her view on inspiring the younger generation: When you do something, you do it and do it right. You try to help people. With the kids, you make certain they do the right thing. You just have to know that you are also an example when people and younger people see that, especially your younger nieces and nephews. They need someone to look up to in the family. I always try to do the best I can. Do things to help other people, but also to help my family. 

A role model in her life: My grandma was very independent minded, very well read, really strong and stubborn. She was the 50’s wife who had this beautiful home, the doctor’s wife whose thing was planning house parties and those types of things. She was a teacher before having kids and then she left as soon as she got married so she was only a teacher for a couple years, but it was really important to her that she was a teacher. She was a woman who said her piece and spoke her mind and had a strong opinion on politics. I know she modeled for me all those things.

Running for office as an introvert: I consider myself introverted. I always thought I'd be the person behind the scenes. I was much more comfortable being on campaigns helping other people get elected. It took me a long time to get comfortable with public speaking and with talking to the press and all the things that come with being an elected official. It still isn't easy for me. It's gotten a lot easier though. I guess other people saw it in me before I saw it in myself.

Her opinion on how we should view politics: I want to be able to help young women see this as a possibility and that, unfortunately, we overwhelmingly have a negative reaction to politics in this country but there are people that are doing it for the right reasons that have been affected in their positions holding true to their principles and ideals and their ideals. Politics can be done a different way, we need to demand that of people who represent us.

On diversity in New York City: Now that the city is becoming even more diverse we want more equity not only on the gender side [but] we also want equity on the ethic racial side ... It’s more reason I feel very compelled to excel in the position, to represent myself and my community well so that we can inspire others to consider running [so] that we demonstrate that we are capable and able to succeed.

On her role model: There was a teacher that I walked into when I first went to school here [University of Tulsa], 25 years ago. She was an acting teacher, and she was terrifying. She was mighty and she was powerful, and everything that I thought a woman should be. She scared me to death. I’ve always been a little bit of a performer, but I’m much more comfortable a worker, a behind-the-scenes making it happen kind of person. And I took the class, and she was magnificent. Throughout the course of my life, she has been a mentor and a friend, and still embodies perfection personified in a what I think a strong woman should be. I would not be the woman that I am without her.

On rainbows, inspired by a Maya Angelou poem: Everybody has rainy days in life. Rainy days happen. And it [the poem] is about finding the rainbows in your life, but also being the rainbow in other people’s lives. And that really, really struck me: instead of just concentrating on finding your rainbow, concentrating on being that rainbow in other people’s lives. That has really been in the forefront of my mind as I go into public service, and it’s what I think public service is – creating that rainbow experience for other people, not only in my district, but in the world. To know that no matter what happens, we can make it better.melissa

Place of special meaning: Public transportation has become a passion of mine, as a way to think about how we create opportunity for every person. When you’re on the T, you run into people from every walk of life, from every background and as you’re all trying to get to your destinations, there’s this temporary community space that comes together.

The beauty of running for office is that you become privy to people’s hopes, and dreams, and fears, and concerns. And then it’s your responsibility to try to give voice to that and incorporate that into the solutions that you and the community are putting forth together.

On women of color entering political spaces: I think especially growing up as a woman of color, as a girl of color, as a woman of color now, you observe how many spaces weren’t created for you and how important it is for you to either figure out how you’re going to elbow yourself in, or you’re going to throw a big brick to break that wall so that you can get into that room – in the rooms that count. And so that’s why I think you have so many more of us running for office and winning, and being able to successfully pass progressive legislation because we understand what our communities have gone through, and that’s really where policy should be drawn from.

On being the first Colombian-American State Senator in New York: Being the first Colombian-American State Senator in New York really took a different meaning to me last week, and the last few weeks when we’ve been celebrating Colombian Independence. Growing up of course and hanging out with my friends and having fun was one way to celebrate, but now it’s sort of from a completely different perspective, and I feel a lot of responsibility in being a good role model to those who are younger than me, and to make people realize that really, it’s not rocket science—anybody can do this as long as your heart is in the right place.

Her Mentor: Well, the funny thing is the first time I ran, the Democratic Party provided me with a helper because I was new. And it was Jim Messina, who was educated in Montana and ended up being Obama's campaign leader [in the future]. When I worked with him, he was 19-20 [years of age], but he clearly had the skills. He was very good and very hyper, and this 19 year-old was a mentor for me. 

Growing Up with Political Discussions: [I had an understanding of equality from a young age because] we would have... political discussions around the dining room table, and my dad would say, 'is this the right thing to do?' And it was kind of a trick question. You better figure it out [if] this is the right thing to do.

Place of Special Meaning: The beach in my backyard is my favorite place in the whole world. I think it’s a place that I am intimately familiar with. I walk up and down pretty much the two mile stretch every day, sometimes two or three times a day parts of it. My family’s been associated with it since we’ve been in Haines, which is some 32 or 33 years, and my children have grown up here and now my grandchildren play here. It’s a place that grounds me and gives me strength and courage and gratitude, every single day.

The value of sharing one’s story: The power to transform your life is very much within you and by sharing your story, you pull out that power. By being vulnerable, it is powerful. I try to demonstrate that by taking the action of sharing my story everywhere I go. It is hard, but I just do it. Of course along the way, when you tell your story, you are going to meet people who also share pieces of your story and who exercise the courage to share their story. Which is inspiration too. Sometimes, I’ll be in a space where I impart my story and someone will share theirs. That’s what keeps me going and I’ll remember that person, the next time I have to share my story.

Now, I'm in a space where I am telling my constituents you need to show up, otherwise they will ignore you. You don’t have the luxury of living your life without interacting with government. It plays such a key role in our daily life—in our schools, in our parks, access to good jobs and living wages, whether or not you can be a citizen of this country, who you can love, who you can live with, who's entitled to adopt children. All of this is determined by government. It is shocking to me many of our communities don’t realize the power governmental institutions have in our lives. My goal is to give that power back to the people and get them to understand that they need to show up and be partners in this work. That’s when we bring about transformative change for our communities, particularly our most vulnerable populations.

To learn more about Boston City Council President Campbell’s story, watch her TEDx Talk.

Learning the power of conversation- I decided not to go to law school right away. Instead, I got to know the community by working for the 2010 census. My job was to build trusting relationships, so people would actually answer the census. In doing such work, I realized the power of conversation. When you truly listen to people, you get to the real roots why they are so hesitant to fill out the census form.

I’m proud to be the first Vietnamese American woman to hold office (in Massachusetts), and I'm honored to have the opportunity to represent everyone in the 18th Essex District. My background and lived experiences might be different from others, but when we engage in conversations, we find more commonalities than differences. It’s about sympathies, it’s about compassion, it’s about being open to listen to people’s problems, where they are coming from, what their struggles are and really work with them to address those issues. At the end of the day, people just want their roads paved and their schools well funded.

During my campaign, I was never shy about where I came from and what I stood for. People embraced my openness. They wanted change, they wanted a new voice, they wanted new perspectives, they wanted someone who wants to create a welcoming inclusive community for all.

Place of special meaning: The Greater Allen A.M.E Church is the beacon for Southeast Queens. For me in particular, it is where I found my voice. I’ve always been told I’m a good speaker, but I never truly knew how to use my voice. So under the leadership of my pastors (the Reverend Floyd and Elaine Flake), I was able to find my voice. Not just as a singer, but also as an advocate and an activist for my community.

On role modeling: We have to pay it forward because we never know who is coming behind us, we stood on some very powerful shoulders to get here and now it’s up to us to be the shoulders going forward.

On breast cancer and fear: When I had my cancer, that was the scariest time in my life, and I look back on that and I look at the challenges I face now, and really they’re nothing compared to that. And so I’m not as fearful about the challenges I face now. So when I do get nervous or I get scared, I think, well this is, in the grand scheme of things, compared to what I went through before, I can handle it, and I’m not so scared. And I think that’s the biggest lesson I learned, is that it gave me strength. It was an awful thing to have to go through, but to be on the other side of it, it makes you a stronger person.

Her Grandmother, her role model: I think she is very compassionate. So there were 9 kids who ended up being in this family. Not all have chosen great paths. She loves them all, no matter what. They’ve struggled with different things in their lives and she’s still strong, but she still loves them all and she has compassion for all of them, and I think that’s a great role model, a great example. So I hope I can carry that out and have compassion for others.

On being a cycle-breaker: I just prayed to God if He gave me strength ‘I will become a cycle-breaker’, and every degree that I took—even though my mother didn’t live to see it and my grandmother actually died four months after my mother so it was just a harsh time for me in 1992—but I channeled that energy to say that I am gonna do something for my mother’s memory I wanna make her proud and so I graduated from Cuyahoga Community College, I took that degree in my mother’s name, and when I matriculated to Cleveland State University earning my Bachelor’s and my Master’s, I took both of those degrees in my mother’s name. So, although she’s not here, I know she’s in heaven saying, “You go, girl” and my grandmother too saying, “You’re doing us proud.”

Fighting for justice: I am also carrying that mantle for the generations of African Americans who have had to endure somebody calling them ‘girl’ or ‘boy,’ or having to walk in the street when a white person passed, or having to put their head down they couldn’t look a white person, particularly a white man, in their eyes. That sticks with me, and it is that spirit that makes me want to continue to fight for liberty and justice for all.

On gender roles: You know, I read this one book called Reviving Native Womanhood and I think that there’s some gender roles that were brought upon us by Western civilization that weren’t necessarily there before and I think that we’re now realizing that there aren’t those particular roles that are specifically for men or for women. And I do go out and fish with the net in the river and I do go out in the bay and collect salmon with a net or halibut with a longline…and its just an enjoyable thing to do. Its enjoyable just to be able to bring in your own food.

I don’t personally make a big effort to recruit other women [in Tribal leadership positions]. I make an effort to recruit people who are involved in the community and interested in making a difference and thankfully there’s more women who are willing to do that.

“That’s an erosion of our recognition of sovereign people:” There’s groups of people with the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act that are running corporations that want to be recognized as tribes and thats downright scary to me. I think that if you have corporations being recognized as tribes, that they’ll erode the sovereignty of a tribe where we have a home we have land and we have a place that has always been and now we have a corporation somewhere in a city saying, “oh we want recognition as a tribe.” That’s an erosion of our recognition of sovereign people.

On being photographed with her sister: My sister Bonnie and I were photographed in front of the Oklahoma County Courthouse. Bonnie is 18 months older than me. She's my only sibling, so we are very close. She is a public defender, and I’m a County Commissioner. So we work in the same system and are fighting for the same issues. We both care greatly about our criminal justice system. The courthouse and standing on its steps is a fitting representation of the two of us working within the system and trying to improve it.

It's fun to work in the same building as her. We look a lot alike, and people say hi to me, and they think I'm her, and vice versa. So we just go along with it. We joke that one day I'm going to show up in court, and she's going to show up at a board of county commissioner meeting and not say anything.

As a passionate supporter of criminal justice reform, Commissioner Carrie Blumert named the creative writing program, Poetic Justice at Oklahoma’s Mabel Bassett Women’s Detention Center as an inspiration for her advocacy. Given that the incarceration rate for women in Oklahoma is double the national average, there is a real need to provide female inmates with the emotional tools to flourish post-internment. To learn more on the writing workshop, watch the documentary Gray Matter and purchase a collection of original poems by the female inmates.

First political act: My first political act occurred in my twenties when I advocated for the passage of a law to protect our sacred Spanish-Mexican land grant communities before the New Mexico Legislature. It took two legislative sessions to pass the law. During the process, I learned valuable lessons that would assist me later in my career and we were able to accomplish something meaningful for these communities, which inspired me to continue my efforts to protect our state and make it even better for generations to come. This strong desire eventually led me to run for my current elected office.

On the strong female role models in her life: I am fortunate that I had two moms that were both incredibly strong women in different ways...I’ve learned so much about my family on both sides and they are all very strong, very independent women. Tina Orwall has a unique family background. She was adopted, and her adoptive mother was also adopted. She recently met her birth mother.

On her background and journey to politics: My background is as a social worker and mental health professional. I had done a lot of clinical work for years and then I started doing policy at the city, county, and state levels so I think that helped me to understand how government works and to understand when things aren’t working and how to fix them. 

She also encourages young women to get involved in politics: It is important to me to have interns in my office and I try to interview a number of young women at the University of Washington School of Social Work and try to identify candidates that are really excited about learning more about politics and I try to introduce them to how it works, introduce them to a lot of people in the area where they can have opportunities to work in policy or potentially run. I find that often young women don’t feel ready, yet they have incredible skills to be successful in office and so I try to help them identify those skills and let them know what kind of paths they can take to eventually run for office.

On the importance of speaking Crow: [My mom] wanted me to speak Crow…I am [an advocate], even though I’m not fluent. I just feel like it’s a child growing up deaf in a community if they didn’t speak Crow, and I never wanted that to happen. There’s too much to lose.

On entering a political race: There’s some similarities between biking and politics. It’s that scary feeling of you have to push off before you’re ready to go, before you know what you’re doing. And that’s a lot like running for office. You have to be willing to push off before you have your balance in check and it’s a scary risk but it’s important.

On pushback she faced against running: The interesting thing was, I had been really active in politics. I was in a young democratic breakfast club, I served on our Polk County democratic committee, and when I decided to run one of the candidates that was running had moved into the district to run. I was about 29 and I had owned a house in the district for about seven years and people were telling me, “Oh we already have a good candidate out, I wish you wouldn’t run.” This is my neighborhood, these are my people, of course I’m going to run.

On her place of special meaning: The Keiro Nursing Home is meaningful to me because it was established for the immigrant Japanese pioneers who with nothing more than just hopes, came to the United States, like so many other immigrants and found that there was opportunity here. But because of rampant racism and discrimination, their dreams for opportunities were really not theirs to be reached and achieved. These elderly pioneers managed to still work very hard on behalf of their children's opportunities. As many of us now know, in 1942 everything changed when Japanese Americans were put in camps because of their ethnicity.

Their resilience and the lessons that they imparted to their children, and ultimately to their grandchildren is why, I believe I've been able to succeed, and become a voice for those who are under represented and those challenged by discrimination. Most importantly, I serve as a reminder to my colleagues about the deep meaning of the Constitution and our obligation, not just by words, but by real actions to continue to hold its relevance for future generations.

For an in-depth understanding of the Japanese-American community and their World War II experiences, Rep. Sharon Tomiko Santos recommends Densho: The Japanese American Legacy Project and please read my blog piece exploring the constitutionality of incarcerating American ethnic groups during wartime using Rep Santos’s family history, as a case study.

The importance of yoga: The deep breathing of yoga is amazing, not only physically, but also mentally and spiritually. Combining it with the beach is a powerful healing and de-stressing routine for me. Yoga has helped me tremendously in these past couple years. Because of it, I’m able to handle the pressures of being on City Council, our Public Safety Board, our EMS Response Team, and Kake’s Fire Department’s Search and Rescue division.

Learn more about Kake Alaska's challenge to bring proper state law and order enforcement to their rural town here.

Women in Power in the Cherokee Nation: I’m really proud that in the Cherokee Nation a lot of our directors of our services are women… our CFO for our entire nation, and we are the wealthiest nation in the United States, is a woman, and the head of our governmental relations is another woman. We have women in power in Cherokee Nation, and I’m really excited to share that.

Health Care for Members of Cherokee Nation: Here inside our jurisdiction, we have amazing healthcare and healthcare facilities—we have nine medical clinics and a hospital, and we’re getting ready to open a new clinic beside that. That clinic will be the largest tribally-owned medical clinic in the United States—it’s 469,000 feet. To put that into context, that’s about the size of five super-center Walmarts… Now, on the outside of jurisdiction, our people have the same needs, but they have other opportunities, and these are going to be involved in Indian health services (IHS clinics), and those are few and far between, regrettably.

How she became State Senator: Twice in [Oregon] history before my election, it had been engineered so that the representatives never made it out of the nominating convention, but it’s never before happened that the representative made it out of the nomination convention and then lost in front of the county commissioners. And I did that. And frankly, I think it was because I was a woman. Not because of gender politics, but because I didn’t take anything for granted.

The Oregon community and marijuana legalization in 2014: It was bipartisan, it was bicameral, it was house and senate together, and the Republicans played a huge role in that because their community’s perception about how to deal with this were very different from Eugene or Ashland, and the women who were the co-chairs of that committee were really interested in getting as many opinions forward as they could and trying to understand what was really important to people. And we just tend to do that, it’s sort of that barn raising stuff.

On being an advocate: I’m so glad you used the word advocate, because I’ve always taken issue with the word politician. It makes me very uncomfortable. I’d like to lean more towards public official or public servant. But, the word that I’m most comfortable with, and the space that I most strive to own, is that of an advocate. I haven’t stopped advocating, but I am doing it from an elected official platform.

On her mother as her inspiration: My mother is certainly the most formidable figure in my life. I like to joke that I will never say may she rest in peace because she was too bad, too powerful, so I say may she rest in power. I never say that she’s died, I don’t believe in that. We are life forces, so if life is energy, life just transforms. I like to think her energy is transformed and I’ve absorbed it. When I’m being especially brave, I say that’s my mom showing up. If I do something especially kind or thoughtful, I say that’s my mom showing up. Everything good about me I credit to her. My mother was a social worker, her focus was mostly on elders and also on youth. She raised me under not unique, but no less trying circumstances as a single parent.

Generations of leadership: I guess it was in my genes to be a leader. My dad and mother taught me the importance of leadership at a young age. My mother was on the school board and my dad was tribal council president for years, until they passed. In high school, my class was very competitive. Gosh, I wasn’t president but secretary/treasurer. Then in the 70s, I was president of the Alaska Native Sisterhood. My children skipped a generation on leadership, so that’s why I am turning it over to my grandchild, Jade. I pray that she’ll be able to step up and be a leader in our community.

To learn more about indigenous Southeast Alaskans reliance upon traditional methods of subsistence hunting and gathering, please click here.

Beginning of public service: I went to Townsend Harris High School, and this is really where public service started for me. At Townsend Harris we take an oath every year… and the ending of the oath is to leave the city greater than how we found it. That pledge has stayed with me throughout my personal and professional career; it's something in which I've found great meaning and continue to use in my public service. So that’s why I picked my high school, my alma matter––where it all began.

On the importance of voting at a young age: There is so much to be said for voting. They say the younger you are when you vote for the first time, the more likely you are to always vote. For me, that’s been really true. I have always voted. I would go and vote for ditch master because it was important.

On running for office for the first time: I knew it was hard, so that’s why I waited when my kids were young. I knew it was difficult on the family and both for my husband’s sake and my kids’ sake I wanted to wait, until they were grown. And I did lose the first time, I lost by 3000 votes (laughs) that’s the irony. The wonderful part of the story is that my older son, Zack, came and worked on the campaign and he was my driver for nine months. And we had a really, really special time together, and he had the opportunity to see the courage and the energy that it took me to run but I also had the opportunity to rely on him. He was very helpful, he had studied government in undergrad and so I can remember we had conversations about trade and public foreign policy. It was wonderful, it was great.

Place of special meaning: The New Hampshire Audubon has a special meaning to me because my mother, Susan McLane, who was in the New Hampshire State Legislature, was the president of the New Hampshire Audubon. And she was very focused on kids and birds and the education of children through nature and the natural world. And this center is named for her.

Being a woman in office: I think we already know the differences are stark; most of my male counterparts don’t have to be asked to run for office. Many times they come to the conclusion themselves, that it would be good for them to represent people and I don’t know anyone who had to be asked more than one time. I know that most of the women who do give it a thought always think of themselves as having a deficit, saying, “oh I can’t do it because of this and that, and this and that.” I think for most men it comes to them that they want to run for office and are already thinking of the positives that they can bring to the role. So not only are we in a place where we aren’t even thinking about representing people most of the time, but we have to be asked and we have to be asked several times. And then we are fighting our own conversation within ourselves, explaining why we’re really not worthy.

The reality is that there is so much work to be done. If you have the skills, if you’ve got the interest in helping people, if you’ve got a support system, if you’ve got a will to be able to get things done and if you’re not afraid to put yourself out there, then stop having the negative conversation and have the positive conversation. Go forward with the focus of doing the very best that you can for the people you represent.

On democracy: I think my personal background, having my parents both be immigrants, my father from the birth place of democracy (Greece), my mother from a communist regime (Cuba), just always made me very much appreciate the democracy that we are afforded here in the United States. It really motivated me to want to be in government, take part in the democratic system by running for office and doing what I can to preserve the American dream, here in the United States. 

On the future of women: I really hope that as more women come into public office and as more girls, as they are growing up, say oh yeah well we’ve always had a congresswoman or the mayor of my town has always been a woman or my aunt is a state rep, whatever it may be, but the more that just becomes common place and the more role models that there are, the less we are going to have to ask women to run and it will just be another one of the options when they look at careers and ways to give back.

On women in her life: I knew my mother’s mother very well and she is probably the reason why I ran for public office. My school bus dropped me off at her house every day after school. She was born in 1904 and lived to almost 103 years old and she was just an incredible woman really ahead of her time. She was a homemaker, very devoted to her church, she never worked outside the home except in WWII - she was Rosie the riveter. She made small machine parts for airplanes and at one point her hair got caught in the press, so you might think she would look back on that time and say that it was awful, but she loved it. She loved feeling like she was supporting the troops and doing her part.

Place of special meaning: I used to spend hours in front of this restaurant, selling clothes with my father. It was the last place I went to work with him before he was killed and it reminds me of a time when life was good and my family was whole. I learned so many life lessons during that time. While selling clothes with my father, I learned kindness and compassion for those who are less fortunate. I also learned how to make a profit while being fair to every customer. And my father taught me to never let a person go hungry. He would also give out food to the needy people in the area. I visit this place because it gives me a warm feeling of comfort as I visualize my father standing there and selling clothes. "Whenever you get to the point in your life where you can give something back, you should,” he told me. This is the reason I am in politics, so it is only fitting that I honor my father’s memory with this portrait outside the restaurant where we worked together.

On Reverend Martin Luther King Jr.: Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. truly shaped my character. When I was a child, he was a friend of my mother’s. We lived in the same neighborhood and one day I ran into him, literally, while I was playing in his church. He stopped me and I cried because he recognized me and I knew he’d tell my mother. He said, “I want you to promise me that you won’t run around this church like this again.” I was afraid of being disciplined by him. Instead, he took me upstairs where a crowd of people were waiting for him. There, in front of everyone, he spoke to me about how anyone could be great because anyone could serve. I listened intensely to every word. It made a strong impression on me because this great man, who was clearly the object of so much admiration, took the time to talk to me. From that point on, Reverend King always knew me, and I say that he anointed me, because he tapped me right on top of my head and yanked my ponytail.

The importance of sports: I always wanted to learn tennis, ever since I saw Billie Jean King beat Bobby Riggs. But there weren't any tennis courts around here when I was growing up. Paddleball seemed like the perfect alternative. The thing about sports in general is that they teach you the importance of having a competitive edge. But I try not to go overboard either. The point is to work hard but have fun while you're doing it. Paddleball is actually a good lesson in strategy––where to place the ball, how to make your opponents run so that they get tired. You want to dominate the middle of the court, if you can. And if your opponent gets the center, you try to lure him to the margins. These are helpful lessons, especially in politics.

On giving back: When I think about what defines me and why I want to serve, this is it. Military service is how I got my start. I served 10 years in the military; it’s where I met my husband, and we have many, many years of service between us. It was the first thing that came to mind. It’s what taught me about being part of a team and about giving back. It sounds cliché, but it feels natural to be part of a group that is giving back instead of taking.

On her parents’ political participation: For me, the 'table' is a symbol of community. Growing up, I was influenced by the civic-mindedness of my parents; they were staunch advocates for people in the community. People felt free to come to our home and gather around the kitchen table. The discussion might revolve around immigration issues, social security, joblessness, or just about somebody needing assistance in some way. Whatever it was, my folks were always there to help. My parents didn’t write omnibus legislation, but they really made a difference and created opportunities for the people that relied on them. My mother’s admonishment to women was “come on girls, let’s make ourselves heard.” She believed that women need to express their views and thoughts; they need to claim their place in politics and speak up. So that’s the atmosphere in which I grew up and that’s how I approach my own politics and my own tenure.

Place of special meaning: We’re at Doris Pond, in the north end of Manchester, running with some of my best girlfriends, with whom I’ve been running for ten or eleven years. I joined the group when one of the runners said, “you should start running with us!” I didn’t feel I was at their level, so I was a little hesitant at first but joined the group, and it was the best thing I ever did. It’s just a wonderful group of women who encourage you to do better. When I first started, doubting my running ability, the group got me to where I needed to be.

Place of special meaning: My dining table serves as the family conference table. It's where all my important decisions get made, including the one to run for Mayor. I came to politics through activism. As a young mother in the 60s, I walked into a public library in Decatur and applied for a library card for my children. This one act desegregated the library system for all DeKalb County. The family joke about the conference table is that a family vote is always requested but only one of the votes really counts.

Place of special meaning: I learned a lasting lesson from growing up on the farm and that was respect for nature and her power. While you gain an understanding of the impact of humans on nature, you also quickly learn that the power of nature has the ability to humble humans very fast!

On her first political race: It was a very lofty goal, but as I got into it and as I started working, I started becoming more determined saying, “Alright, you know, if I’m going to be in it, I am going to be in it to win it. It is going to be no holes barred. We’re going to be running here and I’m gonna slug to the finish.” I did.

What is important in state politics: And when you get to this level in the state, you’ve got a constituency of about 8,700 people, and it’s really all about getting out and talking to them, meeting them, saying hello, having that face to face interaction. And it’s more a level of trust versus a level of political savvy. People want to see people representing them who are like them.

On what she has learned in office: I have often tried to explain to some of my fellow animal welfare advocates that while our passion and interest in animals is something we all share, we need to be mindful of the many other things that make a city strong. Because without a strong economy, without a safe place, and without strong neighborhoods, unfortunately, the animals, which many of us care so deeply about, have less of a chance of finding loving permanent homes.

On if she has always loved animals: I absolutely have. As a newborn, the day that I was brought home from the hospital, we had a large german short hair, so I have grown up with dogs!

The importance of sports: I spent many years not only representing Salem State playing on their team, but also enjoying college life. I think team sports really help you to learn how to pick each other up, how to be unselfish, and how to recognize that when you can’t get along with people you can still achieve a shared goal. Certainly the euphoria that comes with success, from a team, is so much better than individual success. Being able to share it with others is especially something that I look back on fondly. And it’s definitely an approach I bring to management as a team concept in City Hall and Senior Staff and working toward a shared goal.

Place of special meaning: As Mayor of West Palm Beach, I oversaw the redevelopment of the Downtown area. It had been a sore spot in the city and it needed some love and attention. The results have been instrumental in bringing the community together, and the neighborhood is now a place for people to play and learn. The library is a key part of this project; kids can get help with their homework, anyone can take a yoga class, or attend a film screening, which is one of my favorite activities there.

Place of special meaning: The location is Lone Rock Point, taken from Lake Champlain in the winter. I grew up on Rock Point. My father was the headmaster of the Rock Point School, a small boarding school for high school students who need a second chance, owned and operated by the Episcopal Diocese of Vermont. I chose this location because of its incredible beauty, and also because the lake tells a story about global warming. When I was growing up the lake used to freeze over 9 out of 10 winters; these days it freezes over 1 out of 10 winters. In my political life, I am trying to advance policies that address global warming––policies that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and policies that will help Vermonters adapt to a changing climate, increased flooding, and more uncertainty. The Abenaki say that, after God created the world, he turned himself into a rock in Burlington Bay. Growing up, I understood why God would want to live here for eternity; it is so peaceful and beautiful. I hope this natural beauty will endure for many generations to come.

Place of special meaning: The exquisitely beautiful Santa Catalina Mountains overlooking Tucson have always been a source of inspiration and power to me. When I need to balance the strong and steady nurturing power of Mother Earth with the hectic pace of being a Legislator, I escape to these mountains with my little power puppy Moki. From the Catalina Mountains I can see my entire legislative district—my heart fills with love and I can return to this work that I am so honored to do.

The importance of dance: What I love most about dancing is that I can totally “unplug” from my day-to-day mayoral duties and focus on the dance floor. When I’m whirling around with my partner and concentrating on our footwork, I really can’t think about answering emails or preparing for my next important meeting. And, just as important, I’ve found ballroom dancing to be a huge stress reliever and a great way to “reset” myself.

Place of special meaning: Astoria Park is the place where I, as a city kid, learned to love nature. I recognized early on that this precious green space is bookended by polluting power plants and the dangers these plants pose to the surrounding neighborhood I love so much. I studied environmental issues in law school and worked with local elected officials on cleaning up Astoria. I saw that as a public servant I could have a positive impact by advocating for re-powering these old plants and shutting down the worst of them. As I watch my daughter enjoy this special place I can only hope that I am making it better for her.

Place of special meaning: I grew up in a very low income household before I eventually ended up in foster care. During my childhood I spent hours at my local public library reading everything I could, because a free public library was one of the only places I could afford to go. So now, as a council member, I fight for great quality public services, like our libraries and arts programs, so that kids today who are growing up like I grew up have a place to go.

Place of special meaning: I am honored and privileged to be Chief of Police of the San Diego Police Department. I grew up in Cleveland, Ohio where the winters were brutal. I fell in love with San Diego during a visit while in college at Ohio State University. I love running at the beach just before sunrise when the moonlight can still be seen illuminating the waves. This is my quiet time to reflect on the beauty of my city, which I proudly serve. A few miles into my run, I often stop at this location and look out at the ocean, at the pier and boardwalk. I don’t take any day for granted and I try to make a positive difference for our community and the millions of sun-seekers who visit San Diego every year.

Tina Orwall has a unique family background. She was adopted, and her adoptive mother was also adopted. She recently met her birth mother. On the strong female role models in her life: I am fortunate that I had two moms that were both incredibly strong women in different ways...I’ve learned so much about my family on both sides and they are all very strong, very independent women.

On her background and journey to politics: My background is as a social worker and mental health professional. I had done a lot of clinical work for years and then I started doing policy at the city, county, and state levels so I think that helped me to understand how government works and to understand when things aren’t working and how to fix them.

She also encourages young women to get involved in politics: It is important to me to have interns in my office and I try to interview a number of young women at the University of Washington School of Social Work and try to identify candidates that are really excited about learning more about politics and I try to introduce them to how it works, introduce them to a lot of people in the area where they can have opportunities to work in policy or potentially run. I find that often young women don’t feel ready, yet they have incredible skills to be successful in office and so I try to help them identify those skills and let them know what kind of paths they can take to eventually run for office.

Place of special meaning: It’s a three-thousand-acre wheat farm—dryland wheat—we have direct seeded since 1999, and we added sheep into the rotation to manage our residue on the soil. It’s also a systems approach, out-of-the-box approach, to farming in eastern Washington. We’ve tried some cover cropping and some other technologies that are new. I’ve just always been a part of this farm. I do a lot of the field work as well, and I chip in on opinions on things.

Applying lessons from the Peace Corps in Thailand to politics: So coming into my world in the political world, I feel like I want to build this sense of neighborhood and community and it informs how I want to look at the laws that we create. Are we strengthening neighborhoods and neighborliness. Are we strengthening relationships? Or are the laws actually dividing us?

ALICIA WEINTRAUB, CITY OF CALABASAS COUNCILMEMBER

AT FREEDOM PARK, CALABASAS, CA

Place of special meaning: I chose this place, it’s a community park, because it just shows our community’s commitment to the environment and open space. Especially during the last year during the pandemic it was really important that people had a place to go outside of their homes that was safe, and this just really signifies that.

Advice for the younger generation of girls hoping to run for office: I say go for it! You know, it’s so great being able to make a difference in your community, and especially in local government you’re able to be involved in regional issues, so working with people from other cities. So it’s not just what’s happening in your own little bubble, but being able to look at regional issues, which is something great about local government. 

How she believes being a woman and a mom influences her political views: I don’t know if it necessarily influences my political views, but it helps me bring a new perspective to the table, so I think that’s really important that I’m able to look at it like how are things going to impact our next generation and how will it impact different members of our community?