Georgene Brazer, Local Columnist

When Kristi Cox takes the oath of office, she isn’t just becoming the first woman to lead her city, our city—she’s stepping into history with a philosophy as old as democracy itself: “We are the people.’’

Kristi is known as a people person, an individual who has a smile for all, remembers your name, asks for your children and the family, all before getting to the agenda. Her warmth, genuineness, isn’t an act; it’s a habitat. She’s spent years volunteering in our neighborhoods, listening over lunch or while having a cup of coffee or (sweet tea for Kristi) at kitchen tables, attending club meetings or mentoring local youth. All of this has shaped who she is and her belief that progress begins with empathy.

When she ran for mayor, she promised connection, not miracles. Her campaign wasn’t filled with slogans nor sound bites but by conversations. She visited every corner of the city—the downtown, the quiet neighborhoods, the forgotten ones, the blocks left behind.

Her message was and always has been simple, powerful—”We can talk, your voice matters.’’ Once in office she will transform those words into action. She talks about creating open-door town halls where we can expect to be heard, bringing business owners, city workers, teachers, artists together to design policies that work for everyone, not a select few.

Her “We the People’’ approach will turn politics into partnership. She believes that when residents share ownership of the city they share its success.

“It’s not the buildings built or rewards we win---but that people believe their ideas, their input matters. But perhaps her greatest is intangible--- a sense of pride and unity.

Georgene Brazer is the Chairman of the Richmond Hill Downtown Development Authority. You can reach her at georgenebrazer@gmail.com.