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Revitalization Commission 2019 2 <br />2) What background do you have with urban renewal or tax increment financing projects? <br />I have not worked professionally in urban renewal or tax increment financing. <br />Nevertheless, I would bring a valuable and informed perspective to the LRC. Any further <br />knowledge that I would need to have could be learned. <br />One thing I have noticed through attending city meetings and taking part in workshops <br />is how much professional background shapes worldview. This can be an asset, but it can also <br />be a limitation. People are trained to think and respond in certain ways through their training, <br />and this training can create a very powerful lens through which they see the world. I think this <br />can sometimes be one source of the very common occurrence we see in politics —people <br />speaking past one another, unable to come to shared understandings or direction. Does this <br />mean I discount professional experience in politics? Absolutely not! 1 do think, however, that it <br />would be beneficial for conversation in the LRC to include my voice. A citizen like myself who <br />is living life in Louisville, cares about the direction of the town, and who can relate to the <br />viewpoint of many other citizens has something important to offer in a discussion. <br />Having said this, I think it's very important to be well versed, and I would be committed <br />to leaming all that I could about TIF and urban renewal. I love learning, both inside and outside <br />of the classroom. I have a B.A (Phi Beta Kappa) from Colorado College, an M.A from C.U. <br />Boulder in Political Science, and an M.A in Teaching English as a Second Language from UCD. <br />Along the way I have exposure to a wide variety of classes, including several in statistics which <br />would help me work in this position. In addition to my formal education, I read widely on a <br />variety of topics and am continually learning. Of course, learning isn't just academic —I believe <br />it is essential to look to mentors for advice and perspective, and I continually look for people I <br />can leam from. There are many well informed and experienced individuals in our city and on <br />our staff and they would be an invaluable resource. Given my background and interests, I have <br />confidence that I could understand and work with people and with any information necessary <br />to be successful in this position. <br />26 <br />