May 3, 2018. I announce my run for public office. When I started this blog and journey in January 2017, never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be running for office. So many people, friends and family, have all been encouraging me to run because they all know how deeply I care about people. In fact, I have spent a career righting wrongs for people in the workplace. As I spent many years as a leader in corporate HR, I have first-hand knowledge and insight hearing and dealing with inequities of people. Without question, women and people of color is where most issues exist. I am running for the State Representative for District 48 representing Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond.
Equity. In accounting, equity is the difference between the value of the assets and value of the liabilities of something owned. In business, it is also the value of shares issues by a company. Under my leadership, it is the value put on ALL people, their value to businesses, to our community, to each other and there are zero liabilities in people! And I approach leadership from this lens! As an executive who ran HR for businesses, I saw where most money went to in organizations.
The first issue I am focusing on is pay disparity. This has always been the most egregious situation that needed addressing. And so, I worked diligently to help people, rise in their performance, and address the ecosystems necessary for change. I was blessed to have worked for some great heads of HR and CEOs of businesses. Many of them shared similar values and so I could make impactful change for people. I saw how the ecosystems are skewed to favor some and marginalize others. Pay is fundamentally at the core of all other issues in our world. And that issue cuts across many facets. It cuts for women and people of color the deepest. It cuts for those who are living in an area that is basically unaffordable by most people, especially when pay is at 63 cents on the dollar of others. Fair and equal pay is a fundamental right. And I am far too familiar with how companies justify not paying people. I have some ideas that I am going to be proposing to address this issue for ALL people.
Women. People of Color. Marginalized People. Teachers. Unions. People. Nurses. We need to address this unfairness of pay! And Opportunity! Opportunity for Jobs! Opportunity to not just secure employment, but can rise beyond entry/mid-level. Advancement.
The terms “most qualified” and “performance issues” will be visited. This is fundamentally how companies justify keeping other people down. Today, that conversation shifts.
I care about what's right. Fairness. Equity. Opportunity. I want all people, in Legislative District 48, to thrive. This constituency is the most diverse in the Seattle area and thus, deserves to have someone lead who has faced the challenges of “difference” and CLEARLY understands these issues. I am not a politician. I am a business woman. I am a mom and I am a woman. Who has experienced these issues personally. These issues have affected me and my family and continues to do so. Different thinking is needed in Olympia, Washington. Different thinking is needed in Washington D.C. One step at a time.
Education. Access to education should not be a privilege! Education includes academia, trades, the Arts, small business. Our constituency is the most diverse and this requires and demands that change happen on so many levels in the space of education. More than I can capture in this blog but I am here to say, this is at the top of my list also. We must invest in our communities. We must change the conversation of “we can’t find qualified people” to “we have such a robust talent pool right here in our backyard.” We are in a global economy and cannot afford to be complacent and look past the talented people here. If there is a challenge with folks not having the right skills, well then let’s address that!
Acceleration. People who know me know that I have a large capacity for stuff! I am done with the narratives of single digit diversity progress year over year for companies. I am done watching shareholders demand this change just to see the same progress. Progress for people is going to require boldness and courage. And we absolutely must shift from 2nd gear to 5th (yes I grew up driving a 5-speed). I aim to bring this characteristic to the conversations.
We must begin to form public/private partnerships to address these issues. I look forward to engaging this community about this topic. You will be hearing more from me in the days to come.
We must get past the same political narrative and get to work on the community in ways that can help everyone rise. Would you agree?
Thank you for standing with me! Please donate to my campaign! It’s called Chasing Change. You can donate to this change here: http://votecindibright.com.
In the movement, Cindi
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