County Commission Interview: Cortney Piper

Cortney Piper has chimed in to the Knoxify headquarters. Ms. Piper is running as a Democrat candidate for Knox County Commission Seat 2B.

1. Introduce yourself to Knoxville, who are you, and why are you running?

From the moment I stepped on campus at the University of Tennessee as a member of the Lady Vol Swim Team, I fell in love with the University, the people and the Knoxville area. I felt like I had it all; the Smoky Mountains were minutes away, the area is surrounded by beautiful lakes and I also had the convenience of city living at my fingertips.
I graduated from the University of Tennessee Cum Laude with a double major in Political Science and Sociology after a successful swimming career.
The experiences I had as a student-athlete at UT were some of the most memorable of my life. All of the hard work I had put into earning a scholarship certainly paid off. My work ethic was formed during those years when I would wake up at 5am and swim nine miles per day. I did this while also attending class and excelling in the classroom. The SEC is the toughest swimming conference in the country and you can’t be competitive if you don’t put in the many hours of hard training.
My senior year I was co-captain of our team and earned SEC academic honors during each of my four years. I still hold one of UT’s top ten fastest times in my favorite event, the mile.
After graduation, I had the opportunity to spend some time in New England working for an organization that helped communities facing toxic issues. It was a great experience and I learned a tremendous amount about working with the public to find solutions to their problems. However, after a huge snowfall in October, I said, “it’s time to get back to Knoxville!”
Since moving back to Knoxville, I’ve had the opportunity to work with two great organizations: Keep Knoxville Beautiful and The TN Clean Water Network.
I’ve been a substitute teacher in the Knox County Schools, volunteered for the TN Golden Retriever Rescue, I am currently a steering committee member for Knox County One Question, Chair the City of Knoxville’s Better Building Board, serve on the North Hills neighborhood association board, belong to the Master’s swim program at UT and participate in numerous charitable events.
People I meet are impressed at how involved I am in our community. For me, being involved and civically minded is something I always wanted to do.
I have a passion for helping people!
I believe our government should represent the needs of its constituents first and foremost and has a responsibility to uphold the integrity of the public’s trust. It is one of my cornerstone values and one that you will see in every aspect of my campaign.
I am committed to utilizing my passion, experience, and energy to transform our county government into a citizen-driven vehicle.
My campaign is focused on creating a citizen driven government, revitalizing our neighborhoods, growing local businesses, improving education and protecting everyone’s right to clean water.

2. We think it’s better knowing what not to do rather than having an extensive plan. What areas or interests would benefit Knox County not to venture into?

I agree that knowing what NOT to do is a great guide. But it is not enough — you have to have a vision and apply it to everyday actions in order to move it forward (see my platform at http://www.piperforcommission.com/platform/)
As Commissioner,
I will NOT engage in petty infighting or power grabs for my own personal gain.
I will NOT place seeing my name in the press with a clever sound bite above the interests of my district.
I will NOT cut back room deals to try to “anoint” a hand- picked candidate.
I will NOT agree to random, pervasive, thoughtless development.
I will NOT let this district go unnoticed.
I will NOT let other areas of Knox County attract small and medium sized businesses while our district goes unnoticed.
I will NOT agree to a project that will flood our property and pollute our water.
I will NOT limit or stop citizens of this district from voting.

3. What 5 things could you not live without?

1. UT Football
2. Shoes
3. Hockey
4. Computer
5. Cell Phone