Isabel Piedmont

Isabel represents District 5, where she lived in the Bryan Park neighborhood 1996-2008 and recently moved to McDoel Gardens. She was born and raised in Bloomington, holds degrees from Oberlin College and Boston University, and works as the fiscal officer and office manager for the Department of French and Italian at Indiana University.

Isabel's interest in politics was spurred by the rapid development of Bloomington's green spaces in the 1990s. In 2002, she was actively engaged in the discussions regarding Bloomington's Growth Policies Plan and worked with the local Green Party to bring several amendment proposals to the Plan Commission. As the invasion of Iraq drew closer and the USA Patriot Act threatened the civil liberties of law-abiding citizens and residents, she took part in vigils as a member of the Bloomington Peace Action Coalition and helped to establish the Bloomington Bill of Rights Defense Committee.

In March 2003, she was appointed by the League of Women Voters to serve on the South Central Community Action Program board of directors. Through work on the board, including stints as secretary and treasurer, Isabel became familiar with the complicated funding process of the agency and the push to continually "do more with less."

Isabel served as a member of the Bloomington Environmental Commission (EC) from January 2004 through December 2007, as secretary/treasurer in 2005 and as chair in 2006. During her time as chair, the BEC laid the groundwork for the mayor to sign the US Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, thus committing Bloomington to a reduction in our greenhouse gas emissions. The BEC adopted a framework for implementing the principles of the Mayors agreement, and a committee of the BEC and the Commission on Sustainability will convert this framework into concrete steps each citizen can take to reduce emissions. In addition, the BEC gave significant input into the Unified Development Ordinance in 2006, working to ensure that future development has as little negative impact on our environment as possible.

Isabel has also been an active leader at Indiana University, serving on the Bloomington Professional Staff Council 2002-2007 and as its president during the academic year 2005-06. In addition, she served on the IU Anti-Sweatshop Advisory Committee 2004-07. With the help of international non-profit groups, this organization tries to ensure that IU-licensed apparel is not made in sweatshop conditions. She was co-organizer of the 2005 conference "The University and Fair Trade" on the IU-Bloomington campus.

Isabel's other community service activities include work with the Citizens Advisory Committee of the Metropolitan Planning Organization (transportation planning), Jobs With Justice (living wage and opposition to IU outsourcing), and Bloomington Transportation Options for People (alternative transportation). She is also an active member of the Democratic Women's Caucus, an organization committed to helping more women get involved in the political process here in Monroe County.

Monthly District Meeting Dates

Join Councilmember Piedmont-Smith for coffee on the last Saturday of each month to discuss Council and District concerns.