Lisa Mead, candidate for Wake County Commissioner
READ MORE
Candidates for Wake County Board of Commissioners, District 3
Who is running for Wake County commissioner? Get to know the primary election candidates in our 2022 Voter Guide.
Expand All
Three Democrats are running for their party’s nomination in hopes of joining the Wake County Board of Commissioners.
Lisa Mead, Cheryl Stallings and Cynthia “Cindy” Sinkez are each seeking the nomination to move forward and face Republican Irina Comer in District 3.
Incumbent Maria Cervania, who was first elected in 2020, is not seeking another term and instead is running for N.C. House District 41.
Early voting in the May 17 election begins April 28 to May 14.
To find polling places and full details on early voting, visit wakevotesearly.com or contact the Board of Elections at 919-404-4040 or voter@wakegov.com.
Name: Lisa Mead
Age: 43
Political party: Democrat
Occupation and employer: Fundraising and Grant Writing Consultant, Self-Employed. And a current WCPSS Substitute Teacher.
Education: Bachelor of Science, Criminology from Florida State University. Master of Science in Organizational Change and Leadership from Pfeiffer University.
Political or civic experience: Advocacy Chair, Wake County PTA Council (four years), Member, Cary Town Council Information Services Board (2021-22). Current President, NC Grant Professionals Association. Girl Scout Leader (five years). WCPSS Board Advisory Council Representative. Association of Fundraising Professionals: Women’s Impact Committee and U.S. Government Relations Committee Member.
Campaign website: www.lisaforwake.com
What is Wake County doing right, and wrong, on managing growth?
I believe that strengthening our cities, towns and rural areas in ways that provide more significant housing and transportation choices creates economic opportunity. This can be done while preserving agricultural land, our cultural and natural resources, and adding value to the community. Smart growth is about tailoring choices for individual settings. As part of my campaign, I have been meeting with farmers, realtors/builders, mayors, and town managers to hear what they feel the issues are. Housing is consistently coming up in my community conversations, and I feel that Wake County needs to do a better job of engaging citizens in discussions surrounding growth in our community. However, I feel that we are doing a good job of attracting strong employers to our area.
How should the county support K-12 schools, students and teachers?
From 2018-2022 I served as the advocacy chair on the Board of Directors for the Wake County Parent Teacher Association (PTA). I am a former educator, substitute and current WCPSS parent. If elected, I would continue to use my voice to advocate for the state to fully fund our public schools. Additionally, I will be a champion for our schools at all levels of government. We all have a common goals: to invest equitably in public schools and ensure that every child receives a quality public education. As a commissioner, it is my duty to collaborate to see these goals achieved. This includes creating opportunities for social, emotional, and mental health needs to be met by supporting funding that brings WCPSS closer to the recommended ratio for school social workers, counselors, and psychologists. I will also ensure that all workers receive a fair, living wage that allows us to attract and retain top talent that reflects the diversity of our community.
What do you think Wake County should do, if anything, to address racial injustice issues, and what kind of changes would you propose?
I would like to examine the pretrial criminal justice system (those awaiting trial) in Wake County, focusing on a system that promotes fairness and equity by balancing community safety, concern for victims, and the rights and needs of individuals facing criminal charges. Many individuals are jailed pretrial simply because they can’t afford cash bail, others because a probation, parole, or ICE office has placed a “hold” on their release. The number of people in jail pretrial has nearly quadrupled since the 1980s, and this increase of low-level offenders remaining in detention has a significant cost to taxpayers. Our justice system is in need of reevaluation to address racial disparities — and a critical step in that process is bail reform.
What new steps should Wake County take to recruit businesses to the area?
Small businesses are the heart of Wake County. I will serve as an ally for small, minority and LGBTQ+ or women-owned businesses throughout our community. Making our areas vibrant with enhanced recreation opportunities, spaces where all citizens feel safe, and incentives for innovation among businesses are all tactics that will help attract high-quality employers. We must reflect on what brought us to this community, or kept us from moving elsewhere, and amplify those strengths, which includes adequately funding them.
What’s the top issue facing the county? What specific legislation or changes would you propose to address this issue?
Affordable housing and housing affordability are the issue the citizens are telling me they are most concerned about. I would support increased investments in housing programs, ensuring that people from all phases of life can afford to live here. This includes housing down payment assistance to increase homeownership among nonwhite residents. In Wake County, 42% of renter households pay more than 30% of their income on housing, according to the N.C. Housing Coalition. For homeowners, it’s 17%, so increasing homeownership is key to stability among our citizens. We need to take a creative approach to tackle this issue, and look at other municipalities in the United States to see programs that are cost effective and impactful, and evaluate if they could be used in our area.
If elected, what would your two or three priorities be during your first year in office?
The service provided to our country by our military members should not be ignored. Funding and establishing a veteran’s court to address the specific needs of those who served our country and better supporting our large veteran population that resides in Wake County would be one of my objectives.
As the daughter of a retired educator, a parent, a former teacher, graduate of public schools, and a current WCPSS substitute, I know first-hand that a robust public education system is the foundation of our community. We must look closely at teacher compensation in order to retain and attract quality educators.
Additionally, I would like to see Wake County have a free-standing DNA analysis lab so we are not dependent on the state to process sexual assault kits. If we worked together to create this, processing these kits in our lab would significantly reduce the wait time for results.
What unique skills or life experience would you bring to local governance?
In Wake County, few parents of younger children hold elected office, especially at the municipal level, and especially women. As a mom to three kids in Wake County’s public elementary and middle schools, I have a front-row seat to the needs of families in the Triangle, because their needs are often mine too.
I taught middle school for several years and have subbed almost 90 days in nearly 25 schools during the pandemic. I am a Girl Scout leader, and I have been a vocal supporter of children professionally and personally. I have also worked in human services, including at the Durham domestic violence shelter and Chapel Hill homeless shelter. I was born here and I know the way growth and changes are having an impact on our communities. I am an experienced leader, coalition builder, and advocate for our most vulnerable citizens. I pledge to make careful, intentional decisions and to serve all Wake County citizens with integrity.
This story was originally published April 24, 2022 at 4:43 PM.
