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| photo courtesy | Marci Francisco |
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Marci Francisco: Woman of Impact
Marci Francisco, Kansas State Senator
As a Kansas State Senator, Marci Francisco believes in doing – action – more than saying mere words. Many of those actions of directly had positive impacts on members of the Lawrence community, such as restored and affordable housing, wood-chip programs, even turn lanes on busy city streets. She reached the state senate from the ground up, serving in the late 1970s on local neighborhood associations and community advisory boards before moving on to city commission. She believes in working for the community from a standpoint of responsibility, accountability and – there’s that word again – action that always comes from a place of understanding and taking into account what the people of Lawrence need.
In her own words:
YOUR MENTOR/ROLE MODEL
Jessie Branson and Betty Jo Charlton, two of the members in the Kansas House of Representatives representing districts in Lawrence.
KNOW ABOUT YOU
I try to change things more through what I do than what I say. I take responsibility and actions while trying to understand and take account of what others need.
MAKING AN IMPACT
Being able to point to things in our community that were a result of my actions: restored and affordable housing, the city’s wood chipping program, and the turning lane at 23rd Street that allows northbound traffic onto Massachusetts Street without stopping for a traffic signal. Also, it’s helping others understand how they can have an impact.
I decided in 1977, as a member of the Oread Neighborhood Association, to volunteer for the Community Development Block Grant Advisory Board to help improve my neighborhood. Two years later I ran for City Commission hoping to help improve neighborhoods throughout Lawrence.
LIKE TO SEE CHANGE
I’d like to see less waste of plastic, food, building materials, energy…
