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HomeMy WebLinkAboutLouise Shawkat Louise D. Shawkat 870 Cambridge St. Ashland, OR 97520 Louise40208@grtiail._com 502.777.7550 January 27, 2017 City Recorder 20 E. Main St. Ashland OR 97520 Re: City Council Seat Vacancy This is my letter of interest for the Council Position #6 vacancy on the Ashland City Council. As an Ashland senior citizen I believe I would bring a unique perspective to the issues facing our City, based on my life experience, my work experience as a nurse, and my many and varied volunteer experiences, both in Ashland and elsewhere. Below I provide more detailed information about this experience and how I believe those experiences will serve our City and the Council well. 1. What are some of the biggest issues I see facing our City? • Lack of affordable housing affects the demographic characteristics of any city, and Ashland is no exception. The current lack of affordable housing in Ashland diminishes our City in several ways, resulting in a lack of diversity and too much homogeneity of our population. A diversified community creates richness and energy in our City and the current housing crisis in Ashland is robbing us of the benefits of a diversified community. • Lack of diversified job opportunities. Growing up in a tourist town, I am very familiar with the economic drawbacks to citizens in a community where job opportunities revolve around tourism primarily focused on theatre, restaurants, lodging, and shopping. RECEIVED JAN 272017 1 G ; re" l C-5 - Capitalizing on the success of downtown Ashland, is there a way we can enhance tourism by expanding access to our natural resources in the area, creating more and greater diversity in job offerings. • The recently developed Climate Energy Action Plan, once adopted by the City Council, is just the first step in developing a vision of what the City should look like in 2050. A well-articulated vision is needed to guide the city every step of the way toward achieving a sustainable future for generations to come. This will require all city departments working together and with our community partners to implement the steps to create our 2050 city. 2. What is your primary motivation for seeking the vacant council seat? My primary motivation is to continue my longstanding dedication to community service in the communities I've lived in. I have a Masters in Nursing, and the last ten years of my working career were spent at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Louisville, KY. I worked in the Preservation Amputation Care and Treatment Clinic as an Adult Nurse Practitioner, with a specialty in bowel and bladder diversions and as a wound care specialist. I have lived in Egypt and Saudi Arabia; I am a long-term student of the Spanish language; and I have walked across England and have driven across the US several times with a beagle as my co-pilot. 3. What community and city activities have you been involved in recently? Since moving to Ashland in 20101 I have been active in several city and community organizations and issues. My city-related activities include serving as an active member of Ashland's Climate and Energy Action Plan. I also regularly attend the Conservation Commission and other city commission meetings, such as the Transportation Commission and the Downtown Parking Management and Circulation Ad Hoc Advisory Committee. 2 In addition, I have served as a volunteer in the following organizations: • Energize Rogue • Master Gardener Association • Owner of a certified Pollinator Garden (Ashland Parks & Rec) • Jackson County Master Recyclers • Ashland Garden Club (four years as Secretary) • Siskiyou District Oregon Federation of Garden Clubs (2 year term as Secretary • Volunteer at Ashland Dog Park (two years) • Volunteer at the North Mountain Nature Park via the Ashland Garden Club • Volunteer for the Ashland Independent Film Festival • Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) (volunteer for special projects) and Tudor Guild volunteer • Supporter of Voice of Hope Orphanage in Rongo, Kenya (Kenya Kids @ Rongo) • New Day Breakfast Steering Committee • Ashland Food Project (recruit donors) • SOCAN Master Climate Protector Program • 10 x 20 Group In addition, I am also a member of the following organizations: • (KS) Wild • Jackson County Library Association • American Civil Liberties Union • Sierra Club • Member Ashland Cooperative • OSF • Ashland YMCA • New Plays Festival • Jefferson Public Radio • SOCAN 3 4. What is the role of the city councilor? • To continue the work of providing a safe, sustainable environment for our citizens • To strengthen dialogue between citizens and businesses • To dialogue with citizens and obtain their input early in a process • To work as a team member with other council members • To ask pertinent questions, read meeting packets (do the homework) • To have an understanding of what is financially possible with City resources • To communicate with city commissions and city staff to learn what commissions are discussing and proposing and to hear the concerns of city staff • To dialogue with officials in surrounding towns regarding common concerns, and then communicate with our citizens about the outcomes of this dialogue • To continue to work to expand our economic resources so that we are not only a destination to see plays, but a destination to enjoy our natural environment, thus strengthening our economic base • To support efforts to coordinate and integrate multiple processes to ensure they complement each other and work together to achieve the community's goals • To recognize the diversity of need and help reconcile and/or accommodate different perspectives • To act with integrity Louise D. 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