Washington running for commissioner
Democrat, nursing veteran hopes to be advocate for community
Lisa Washington chose Howard County as her home more than 20 years ago, and she knows it was the right decision for her and her family. Now, she wants to serve the community in a larger capacity as a Howard County Commissioner.
Washington, a Democrat, is running for the District 1 commissioners seat representing western Howard County. She believes the office is a natural progression for her from years of nursing and managing locally because a commissioner must be an advocate.
“I am a nurse by trade for 30 years, and a large part of what a nurse does involves advocacy,” said Washington. “In my current job as an executive director for Indiana Minority Health Coalition (IMHC), I am an advocate. I work with not only local community leaders, but also go to the Statehouse to advocate for a number of issues.
“I believe a large part of what the county commissioners do is advocacy for the community. It would just be an extension of what I currently do.”
Not surprisingly, some of Washington’s top priorities, if elected, will be centered around the health of the community. She believes the commissioners can take a leadership role in improving health outcomes for Howard County.
“One issue that I hear about as I am out in the community is the rise of food deserts,” said Washington. “For instance, once Marsh Supermarkets closed in Kokomo, a lot of neighborhoods lost easy access to fresh, healthy foods. That is an issue I would like to see the commissioners address.
“A large part of the work I do as an executive director for IMHC involves health. Indiana does not fare well in health outcomes. There are disparity issues, especially when it comes to things like chronic disease, such as diabetes. Some things have been done to help improve those outcomes, but that is something that I would advocate for as a commissioner.”
For some, politics is a strange and different world. But Washington doesn’t see any difficulty in making a transition to a more public platform. She began attending local governmental meetings in 2019 after the leadership of IMHC charged its employees to get more involved.
“Our CEO asked us to become involved in local leadership because all politics is local, and it affects your community,” said Washington. “To help a community thrive, you have to know what is going on.
“I’m familiar with a lot of the issues that come before the commissioners and the city council. I cannot say that I am 100 percent up to speed on every issue, but I am familiar with what is taking place.”
Washington had plenty of political experience prior to attending local meetings, however. She has a history of political involvement that reaches back to her college days.
“Before I became a nurse, I earned a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science,” said Washington. “I spent six months as an intern in Washington D.C. When I joined the coalition, part of my job was being a public policy advocate. I began engaging with not only our local representatives and senator, but with the entire legislature. Running for office is just a natural progression.”
Washington started as a staff nurse at Community Howard Regional Health and advanced to managerial roles. She has been involved with the American Diabetes Association and fostered community projects and sat on community boards with Family Service Association, Project Access, and United Way. But more than that, she has been a part of the community by choice.
“My husband and I chose this community,” said Washington. “We chose to raise kids here, and we chose to stay here. We are both healthcare professionals, so we care for the community, and we want to add to the community. We want to help in any way we can. Howard County was a good choice for us.”