Karen Liot Hill '00, programming coordinator of the Rockefeller Center, was re-elected to the Lebanon City Council by a landslide victory on March 12. A Democrat, she won her second term on the Council with 346 votes to 134 votes for her opponent, Republican Karen Melendy Cervantes.
Hill credits her victory to a well organized campaign, "Ten Big Ideas for Lebanon," which she modeled after The New America Foundation's Ten Big Ideas for America. Hill's "big ideas" focus on enterprise, engagement and energy.
"I presented the Ten Big Ideas to connect to people with an optimistic and hopeful vision for the future," Hill said.
Vanessa Sievers '10 was instrumental in the campaign, Hill said. Sievers helped Hill compile a voter list and mail campaign information.
Hill initially came to the Upper Valley in 1996 for her undergraduate degree at Dartmouth, and the appeal of the area inspired her to get involved in local community.
"I've realized that this is a very special place, and I feel a real personal connection to it," Hill said. "I really believe that people have the power to make a difference in their communities, and I strongly believe that I can make positive change in Lebanon."
Hill said she believes the re-election will enable her to build on her accomplishments from last term.
"I learned a lot about how to get things done in office and who are important and influential people," she said. "Now I have the knowledge ... to implement the plans we have developed."
As one of the few on campus involved in local politics, Hill said she has a busy schedule as a Dartmouth employee, a Lebanon City Council member, a mother of two children and a board member of a non-profit organization that serves victims of domestic and sexual violence. Her family, she said, gives her the strength to succeed.
"I have a great stay-at-home husband, and he makes it possible for me to do a lot of the things I do," she said.
Hill credits giving birth to her oldest daughter while pursuing her undergraduate degree at Dartmouth for preparing her for the busy schedule she handles today. She said such a schedule, however, is worth it.
"Over the last two years I have realized that although the Council is a lot of hard work in my life, it is important to really make a difference in my community."
