Isabel Piedmont-Smith is a community activist with a record of public service. She was born and raised in Bloomington and is dedicated to ensuring a vibrant future for her community. The daughter of German immigrants, she grew up speaking English and German and enjoyed regular trips to Germany. She was musical from a young age, singing with the IU Children’s Choir and in the chorus of musicals through Towne Theatre and the IU Opera Theatre. She also loved to go sledding in the winter, down hills that are now mostly covered with condominiums on the city’s southeast side.

Isabel graduated from Bloomington High School South in 1988 and from Oberlin College (Ohio) in 1992. Her first career goal was to become a high school teacher, which took her to the Master of Arts in Teaching program at Boston University. After receiving her degree in social studies education (1994), she taught high school geography and US history in Bloomington. In 1996, she switched gears and obtained an administrative position with the Department of French and Italian at Indiana University, where she has been ever since.

As it did for many Americans, the 2000 presidential election spurred Isabel to pursue political activism. This national-level interest soon led to more local activism, especially regarding development in the city and county, which was eating up green space at an alarming rate. Isabel became involved in the fight to save Stony Springs, the piece of land on the city’s west side that is now the location of Canterbury House apartments.

Isabel with her nephew Abe Piedmont.

In 2002, Isabel 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 has been an active member of the Bloomington Environmental Commission (BEC) since January 2004, serving as secretary/treasurer in 2005 and as chair in 2006. During the past year, 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 in the coming year 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 since 2002 and as its president during the academic year 2005–06. In addition, she has served on the IU Anti-Sweatshop Advisory Committee since 2004. 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 has also worked to help elect local progressive Democrats to office since 2003, most recently as a member of the Democratic Women’s Caucus.