Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
29 <br /> Page 2 of 2 Lisa Hazirjian <br /> District lines and electoral process may be the stuff of boredom for many people, but to me <br /> these represent huge opportunities to ensure our electoral system removes barriers to <br /> participation, improves representation, and expands accountability. I d be interested in this work <br /> at any level of government, but my particular experiences trying to explain our county <br /> commissioner system to local voters while doing nonpartisan voter education raised a lot of <br /> questions I d like to help answer about why we have the current system and how we can <br /> improve it. <br /> Contribution to the diversity of viewpoints on this board: <br /> It s hard to speak to a question about diversity of viewpoints in the absence of knowing who else <br /> is applying, but I would say the following: <br /> 1) 1 m a small-d democrat first and foremost, meaning that I care passionately about everyone <br /> having a voice, even those with whom I disagree. <br /> 2) 1 m acutely aware that, from a demographic point of view, people like me -white <br /> homeowners who live in one of our towns -are overrepresented in local politics. I think it s <br /> important to make sure that the folks from my demographic segment who wind up at the table <br /> bring a demonstrated commitment to hearing and amplifying the voices of others at the table <br /> rather than drowning them out. <br /> 3) In the interest of making sure there s broader representation, I ve reached out to people I <br /> know well who would contribute greater diversity of viewpoints as BIPOC, renters, and/or rural <br /> residents of Orange County. And, I ve asked a few people who know a lot of people to spread <br /> the word to folks, too, in the interest of creating an applicant pool that reflects the diversity of our <br /> county. <br /> I m not sure what the county is doing formally to be proactive about recruiting applicants who <br /> provide this diversity of viewpoints. But I have some ideas I d be open to sharing if y all would <br /> welcome them. I really don t want to wind up on a homogeneous committee just because that s <br /> the applicant pool! <br /> Conflict of Interest: <br /> Boards/Commissions appointments: <br /> Other Comments: <br /> This application was current on: 11/30/2020 1:23:31 PM Date Printed: 12/2/2020 <br />