When Cathy Fisher arrived in qathet, she planned to stay for five years. 46 years later, she’s still here, held by her love for this place, the strength of our community, and the way we pull together when things get tough.

Cathy spent 30 years teaching at the elementary and secondary levels in our district schools, then went on to represent teachers as local union president. Through it all, she has stood up for people who are marginalized in our community. Since retiring, she has carried that commitment onto a variety of non-profit boards.

Cathy knows how quickly negativity can take hold when people talk about poverty, homelessness, and addiction, and how unhelpful it is when people are siloed into a single label. She believes compassion is what keeps hope alive. Without it, it’s easy to feel like nobody cares. With it, our whole community can move forward together.

She brings that belief to her role on the Lift Board of Directors.