Diane Goldring, 57, the director of customer support for a software company, is making ers first run for elective office, seeking to represent Evanston’s 4th Ward on the City Council.
Goldring and other 4th Ward candidates were interviewed about their views on key issues by Evanston Now’s Jeff Hirsh.
Goldring also offered the following information on her background and what she views as the key issues in the campaign in response to an Evanston Now questionnaire.
Background
I have lived in Evanston for a total of 37 years, nine in the 4th Ward. A graduate of Oakton, Chute and ETHS, I earned an MBA from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management. I hold a BA with Honors in Philosophy from Trinity College in Hartford, CT.
I am particularly adept at building and maintaining relationships. Upon graduating from Kellogg in 1990, I spent nine years in banking, where I rose to the level of vice president. I developed close working relationships with small business owners and helped them to obtain the financing they needed to grow.
I left banking to start a sports event management and consulting business. In late 1999, I joined an internet startup and helped shepherd it to maturity. As its director of client support, I found creative solutions to my customers’ needs.
I always have been active and involved in my community. While living in Chicago’s Bucktown neighborhood in the late 1990s, I founded the Bucktown 5K. During my tenure, the event raised more than $40,000 for local youth organizations.
In 2016, I repeated my success in Evanston with Step Up for Youth, a race that raised over $2,000 for an Evanston foundation. I serve on the board of Evanston CASE, a special education advocacy organization. I recruit and manage volunteers to deliver free meals to homebound seniors for Jennifer’s Edibles restaurant. I am a regular weekly volunteer for Connections for the Homeless.
Listening, relationship-building, problem-solving — these are the skills needed in an alderperson.
Key issues
Evanston City Council’s stated mission is to promote “the highest quality of life for all residents by providing fiscally sound, responsive municipal services and delivering those services equitably, professionally, and with the highest degree of integrity.”
In recent years it has largely fallen short. There is a deep mistrust of some elected officials as they seem to be unresponsive to constituents’ concerns.
I will work to fulfill the city’s mission by partnering with Evanston’s many smart, progressive leaders to address our city’s most serious issues.
Specifically, I plan to:
- Make policy decisions through the equity lens to which the city has committed. We can start by taking advantage of the racial equity tools and resources developed by the Government Alliance on Racial Equity, of which we are a member.
- Prioritize human and social services such as youth outreach and employment, mental health and community and economic development in the city budget.
- Address Evanston’s serious affordable housing shortage by reconvening the Affordable Housing Steering Committee and providing it with the resources it needs to develop an updated affordable housing plan.
- Partner with climate leaders to continue Evanston’s fight against climate change.
- Encourage participatory democracy by holding monthly ward meetings, sending regular newsletters, attending community events and informing constituents about important city issues.
Website and social media
Campaign website, Facebook profile, Facebook campaign page, Twitter, Instagram, Linkedin.