By Frederick Philander
WINDHOEK
Teresa Isaac, a former mayor of Lexington, Kentucky in the USA, recently hosted a series of social and educational issue workshops, it was announced by the American Cultural Center.
The information sharing workshops were presented in Windhoek, Oshakati and Walvis Bay.
Topics covered included best practices in leadership and management partnerships to reduce HIV/AIDS, public trust and poverty eradication, and marketing and small business at local government level.
In Windhoek she met with members of the Windhoek City Council, the Junior Council and civil servants to discuss economic empowerment, job creation, education and other key issues.
She also held a breakfast meeting with senior Namibian women leaders in the fields of education, law, business and women’s empowerment.
Isaac met with the Motor Vehicle Accident Fund, the Windhoek Municipal Traffic Police as well as the national traffic police and local government officials, where she conducted workshops on law enforcement and traffic, and best practices in leadership, management and partnerships to reduce HIV/AIDS in the workforce.
The most important issue that arose from this session was the importance of educating the public.
“Education must go hand in hand with law enforcement. There must be a system of trust between the public, the local government and the traffic department in order to protect and value human life,” Isaac told the workshop participants.
In Oshakati she met with local government officials and conducted a workshop on law enforcement and traffic, and economic, community and youth development.
In Walvis Bay, Isaac met with the mayor and local councillors and conducted a workshop on public trust, poverty eradication and marketing and small business development.
She visited the local Duinesig Primary School, where she met with the principal, teachers and learners. Her idea of setting up pen pals between Duinesig Primary school and a primary school in Lexington was well received by teachers and learners at the school.
Isaac holds the distinction of being Lexington’s longest serving Vice Mayor, having held that office from 1993 to 1999. She served three years as a prosecutor in the Fayette County Attorney’s office and five years as Associate Professor in the Eastern Kentucky University Department of Government and Law before running for office.
From the earliest days of her campaign for public office, to leading Lexington forward as a community, Isaac has been a strong advocate for equal government services for all citizens in all neighbourhoods.
The United States Conference of Mayors has recognized Isaac for her role in developing the Lexington Bluegrass Area Minority and Women Contractor Training Program. The program is one of the “Best Small Business Practices” adopted by the US Conference of Mayors.