Meet The Candidate: Lisa Henderson For Gaithersburg City Council

GAITHERSBURG, MD — Gaithersburg voters will have the opportunity to elect a new mayor and two city councilors at the Nov. 2 election this year.

Patch has reached out to all of the candidates and asked them to share with readers why they think they're the best pick on the ballot. Lisa Henderson, a candidate for city council, filled out this survey.
Early voting for the Gaithersburg election will be held at the Activity Center at Bohrer Park on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 23 and 24, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Regular voting will be on Nov. 2 also at the Activity Center.

Candidate

Lisa Henderson

Age (as of Election Day)

54

Position sought (mayor, city council, school board, etc.)

City Council

Party Affiliation

Not included

Family

I have 5 siblings, 9 nieces and nephews, 3 great-nieces and nephews, and a community of people who surround me that I have grown to call family

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

I work in local government and two of my sisters are MCPS educators. My mother is a retired school bus operator and union lead and a brother is a retired law-enforcement officer

Education

B.S. in Computer and Information Science from the University of Maryland University College and an M.S. in Technical Management from Johns Hopkins University

Occupation

I work for Montgomery County Government as the IT Program Director for the Integrated Justice and Information System Program where I deliver automation to the public safety and criminal justice agencies of the County. I have worked for the County for 16 years

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

None

Campaign website

www.lisahenderson.org

Why are you seeking elective office?

As a Montgomery County native and 25-year resident of Gaithersburg, I’ve witnessed the city’s growth and struggles. I know personally of a once-thriving Olde Towne and a vibrant Lakeforest Mall. I know government and I know data and I want to lead from both a pragmatic and data-driven approach. I’ve been using data to serve people throughout my career, and I'm prepared to use it to make people's lives in Gaithersburg better. I want to be a voice on the council to advocate for the visions of revitalization and economic growth in continuing to build on the strengths of our beautifully diverse and urban city.

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Attainable/Affordable Housing –Gaithersburg realizes an estimated 35% housing cost burden, where homeowners and renters expend 30%+ of their income on housing costs, which is above the national average of 32%. Projections show continued population growth in Gaithersburg and the city has reached its limit of undeveloped land to expand for new affordable housing. As a council member, I would look at the city’s current zoning laws and support strategic modifications for both residential and commercial zones to meet the land use needs of a growing urban community.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

As a native, I have witnessed both the growth and the struggles of the city. I know personally as a child and as an adult of a thriving Olde Towne and a vibrant Lakeforest Mall and I will work to bring those businesses and communities into the innovative and urban fold of Gaithersburg. Additionally, I work in and understand local government, the complexity of government fiscal structures, and the financial challenges of serving public needs and driving economic growth.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)

I am not a challenger of any current office holder

How do you think local officials performed in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently?

As the IT lead for the implementation of the Montgomery County COVID-19 Testing solution and vaccine registration site, I had a broad view of the work and decisions related to COVID-19 that occurred throughout the County. With no one having previous experience of leading residents safely through a pandemic, I take my hat off to the performance of the local officials. Not everything was done perfectly, and some things were not done correctly, but the safety of residents was always the leading objective, including when Gaithersburg was identified as COVID-19 hotspot and targeted interventions were applied.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

Job Skills Training - As Gaithersburg moves towards becoming a national biotech and bioscience hub, it is important to me that these businesses utilize the talent of Gaithersburg residents to develop their workforce. This provides an opportunity for the City Council to develop and/or support public-private partnerships, the collaboration between the City and the private sector, to train Gaithersburg residents, to include high school and college graduates and those looking for a career change, to become a valuable talent resource to these firms, which I celebrate for choosing Gaithersburg as their business home

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I am an IT Professional and a self-professed data junkie. The government has always been a great collector of data but has not always had the tools or technology to use that data in an effective and meaningful way. I understand these capabilities. For example, a great area of conversation in the city is over green space and parks and the challenges of where to build more or remove space to make way for schools or businesses. As cities become smarter, sensors are being used to detect human traffic in parks or other green space to determine usage, empirically validating future needs. I understand these advanced technologies and how to build partnerships with other public or private sectors to advance our city in such a way.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Run your own race.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I am bred from a family of civil and civic servants, union representatives, pastors, teachers, and law enforcement, to name a few. Since I can remember, my brothers and sisters, and I were encouraged to serve others. I've always taken a behind-the-scenes approach until 2018 when I worked on the front-side of a local campaign as the campaign's African American Liaison and I watched the candidate work tirelessly simply because he wanted to make the community better for all and the seat he was seeking would give him the opportunity to do that. I am running for Gaithersburg City Council because it will place me in a seat of great ability to serve and work together, transparently, with the citizens of Gaithersburg to build on the strengths of our city. Gaithersburg is my home and has been for many years. I want to continue to make this a place of innovation and community