From Park Lady to Council Member: Alison Alter on Austin

From the First Unitarian Universalist Church Public Affairs Forum –

Presentation Description:

Council Member Alter’s unique perspective as a relatively new resident of the city, combined with her background in public policy, allows her to take a fresh approach to our City’s longstanding challenges. In this presentation, Council Member Alter will discuss her first few months on the Council and the promise of the 10-1 Council to better serve the City. She will share her priorities over the coming year as CodeNEXT goes through its myriad stages, the Council chooses a new City Manager, and the City attempts to navigate the challenging road ahead, from the impacts on the climate that traffic and development have to where Austin stands in today’s politics.

Bio:

Council Member Alison Alter is a small business owner, a former professor, a community connector, and an environmental advocate. She is honored to represent District 10 and the City of Austin.

Council Member Alter has over 20 years of experience working in nonprofits, higher education and through public-private partnerships. She earned her Ph.D. in Political Economy and Government at Harvard University and her B.A. in Public Policy from Stanford University. In 2013, Dr. Alter launched her own philanthropic advising business, Alter Advising, helping individuals, families, and foundations to increase the effectiveness of their giving and to transform their philanthropic experiences.

Before her election, Council Member Alter chaired the We LOVE Ramsey Park renovation campaign. She is proud to have brought together a coalition of neighbors, families, businesses, several City of Austin departments, and local non-profits to transform Ramsey Park into a park where people of all ages can play, gather, and grow together year-around. She served as the District 10 Representative for the Parks and Recreation Board, on the Land, Facilities, and Program Committee and the Land Use/Parkland Dedication working group. She is a 2015 graduate of the Leadership Austin Essential Class.