Commission application number 41 submitted by Carolina Swayze on 06/06/2020

First Name Carolina
Middle Name/Initial Allison
Last Name Swayze
Voter Unique Identification number 1182373244
Ethnicity White
Gender Female
Age 25-34
Education Level Post-Graduate Degree
Major Pursued Library & Information Science
Submitted Address
City Austin
State TX
Zip 78703
What is your occupation? Taxonomist
Verified Address
City Austin
State TX
Zip 78703
Do you have a spouse or domestic partner? No
Are you applying to be the student member of the commission? No
Have you been continuously registered to vote in the City of Austin for the last five years? Yes
Have you voted in 3 of the last 5 City of Austin general elections (or corresponding runoff if applicable)? Yes
Been appointed to a state or city office? No
Been elected to a state or city office? No
Been a candidate for a state or city office? No
Served as an officer, employee, or paid consultant of a political party? No
Served as an officer, employee, or paid consultant of the campaign committee of a candidate for elective state, county, or city office? No
Been a registered state or local lobbyist? No
A paid employee of the City of Austin? No
A person performing paid services under a professional services contract with the City of Austin? No
A person performing paid services under a professional or personal services contract to the City Council of the City of Austin or to any individual member of the City Council of the City of Austin? No
A controlling person of a person performing paid services under a professional or personal services contract to any member of the City Council of the City of Austin? No
How did you hear about redistricting/Applicant Review Panel? Social media
Contribute or bundle one thousand dollars ($1,000) or more in aggregate to candidates for City of Austin elective office? No
Please describe your relevant analytical skills. I am a professional taxonomist which requires both qualitative and quantitative assessment skills. I lead the data efforts on my team and am required to evaluate large data sets every day in my occupation. Additionally, I am a former faculty member and professional researcher with a decade of experience analyzing and drawing conclusions to further my own research. I am committed to making non-biased decisions based on a data whenever possible.
Disclaimer Agreement Checked
Please describe your ability to be impartial. I am a professional taxonomist which requires consistent and impartial advocacy on behalf of my users. Frequently my user base behaves contrary to how I presume they will, so I must maintain professionalism in the face of conflicting assessments everyday at work. Again, I am committed to making non-biased decisions based on data whenever possible.
Disclaimer Signature Carolina A Swayze
Please describe your appreciation for the City of Austin's diverse demographics and geography. I currently reside in District 9 (2015-present) big previously lived in District 4 (2009-2015). I worked for the nonprofit Creative Action for 4 years (2010-15), and partnered with schools across AISD on behalf of the organization. Additionally, I co-founded the Honk!TX festival of community street bands, which unites Austinites across the city in a free music festival. I am a longtime resident of Austin and my family has a longtime history in Central Texas (my great-great grandfather built mills in Rockdale, TX). I am closely tied to friends and family in every single district, and was proud to vote down the at-large city council in 2015. When I lived in Govalle, I was an advocate for Allen Elementary remaining a local school before it was converted into a charter program. I am currently saving to purchase my first home and plan to stay in Austin indefinitely. I am committed to Austin’s diversity and appreciate the fast paced changes our city has experienced. Finally, on a personal note, my parents met working on the 1970 census in Dallas and I understand the value redistricting can bring to a community.
Please provide your employment history. I am a professional information scientist, which means I use hard data and user preferences to make decisions every day at work. Before attending graduate school I was employed in the arts in Austin. I worked for the Blanton Museum of Art (2015-2017) and Creative Action (2010-2015), where I connected with artists of color across the city. I remain active in the performing and fine arts in Austin in a variety of ways, and would bring both a data-driven and empathetic mindset to the commission. I feel strongly that as a young person who has been connected to Austin her entire life, I am a great fit for the commission. I am extremely enthusiastic about Austin’s 10-1 city council!
District District 9
Does this application qualify? Yes