To my friends and neighbors of Trussville,
I am excited to announce that I will be running for Trussville City Council, Place #5, in the August 2020 election! As a resident of Trussville for 31 years, I have had the privilege to raise our three children and run a business here in Trussville. I love Trussville and want to give back and serve this community that has given so much to me and my family.
After being approached to consider running for City Council, I reflected on all I have experienced in life and believe these experiences will be beneficial as a leader for the City of Trussville. Here is a brief description of some of those experiences.
- I ran a successful drapery design business, Bright Creations, for 25 years, where I was featured in Southern Living Magazine numerous times.
- I am currently CEO of the Will Bright Foundation, a non-profit created after the loss of my son, Will, to a heroin overdose. At the Will Bright Foundation, we provide transitional living for men needing help with that next step in life with addiction recovery. With a 126-acre facility we are the largest transitional living facility in the State.
- I also am an advocate in Washington DC for Voices for Non-Opioid Choices speaking on Capitol Hill, the National Press Club, and the White House. We currently have two bills on the floors of Congress on how we approach and pay for pain management.
- I was recently chosen as a Fellow of the Appalachian Regional Commission Leadership Institute, one of three representing the State of Alabama. We are learning leadership roles and bringing them back to the Appalachian communities. Being my age and enrolled in school reflects that I strongly believe if you have a teachable spirit, you are never too old to learn.
- Appointed by Governor Ivy to serve on the State of Alabama Opioid Task Force for Treatment and Recovery, in January 2020
- I serve as a Board Member for Alabama Association of Christian Recovery Ministries
- I am an active member at Church of the Highlands, where I serve on the Dream Team.
- I am a member of the Cahaba River Society
- I am an Arch Angel Supporter of A.C.T.A. Theater
- As a final note and my most valued accomplishment, I have been married to Bill Bright for 38 years, have 2 daughters, Ashley and Amy, a son in law, J.R. Millington, Jr. and 4 wonderful grandchildren! And of course, my son Will, who is in heaven.
My main areas of focus are:
- Addiction and Mental Health Awareness: I have chosen this area of focus as one of my top platforms. I strongly believe we need to provide our children with the best education along with developing programs that recognize the important link between school safety and the mental health of school children. By providing in-school prevention programs and educational community events that include character development, anti-bullying, and suicide prevention, we can make great strides in preventing addiction before it starts. I intend to network and partner with local and national groups and programs that will allow us to have more trained counsellors and peer to peer specialists to address this growing problem. I believe working hand in hand with our school system and the community will help reduce the stigma that can be associated with addiction and mental health issues.
- Economic and Workforce Development: Working alongside the 2040 plan concerning workforce development, I want to make sure we can utilize the connectivity of the coming “Education Corridor” by recruiting businesses to invest in Trussville. This will require us to “hire a full-time economic developer, identify data center and technology park sites, develop infrastructure of the parks, explore the creation of a business incubator/accelerator, develop a marketing program with local partners, and create an education-workforce pipeline strategy.” (courtesy of the Trussville 2040 Plan) Following this plan will allow us to Live, Work and Play better in Trussville!
- Entertainment District, Downtown Revitalization and Safety: As we grow and develop the entertainment district and revitalization of the downtown area, we need to ensure we are making it “family accessible and safe”. This will require pedestrian friendly accesses, such as walking paths, safe street crossings, safe children play areas and bicycle/golf cart accessibility. Having the entertainment district will be a great asset to the City, and we need to make sure we are providing the safest access possible. Security will also be key to the development’s continued success. I will recommend we have an added police presence to give our residents the comfort of feeling safe in their own neighborhood.
Contact Info: Email: Lisa@LisaBright.org
Cell: 205-265-1131
Website: www.LisaBright.org
Mailing Address: P. O. Box 114
Trussville, AL 35173