SPOTLIGHT RACE: Lisa Kaul for NY-SD39

I grew up in India. My mother was a teacher, my father a career army officer. We didn't have a lot – buying a book was a special treat – but my father's job gave us healthcare, food and housing, and gave me a secure launchpad. We didn't always have clean water or uninterrupted power, so I learned early on that basic reliable infrastructure is precious and provides security. My parents taught me to live within my means and showed me what a life of service and good citizenship look like.

After College, a Rhodes Scholarship gave me the opportunity to travel outside of India and earn my PhD at Oxford University – something my family could never have afforded.

I met my husband in England and in 2004 we moved to the US to be closer to his aging father. We made a new home in Poughkeepsie and raised our son here. In 2008, I had the privilege of becoming a citizen.

In the last 20 years, I've seen first-hand the power of ordinary people to create extraordinary change.

Supported by our community, I've stepped up — from fighting to save our local elementary school from closure, to serving on the Board of Education, to organizing the Poughkeepsie Women's March Across the Hudson, to creating a Repair Café in my town where neighbors help each other mend things to keep them out of the landfill.

Along the way, I've also had the opportunity to contribute to several area organizations including the Impact Council of the Dutchess-Orange United Way, the After-School Working Group of the Poughkeepsie Children's Cabinet, and the board of Finish Strong. My work as the Director of the Office of Community-Engaged Learning at Vassar College allowed me to create programs that connected the college to the community, build capacity for local organizations, and support first-generation students.

I was incredibly honored when the Real Skills Network in Poughkeepsie awarded me with the Rosa Parks "Community Icon" Award.
As a new American, I continue to marvel at how close the government is to people. So, in 2023, I ran for office and have since served as a Dutchess County legislator representing District 6 (Town of Poughkeepsie.) I'm passionate about empowering others to run for office, and serve on the board of Planned Parenthood Greater New York Action Fund.

Although I'm not much of a gardener, I love volunteering at the Franklin D. Roosevelt and Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Sites to grow vegetables for Dutchess Outreach, a local food security organization.

And when time permits, I love biking on our rail trails, exploring our wonderful parks, and sampling food from around the world that can only be found in our valley.





https://www.lisa4ny.org/