The Roanoker March/April 2022 - 35

women
T
B
boiled down her assessment thusly:
T- Tough
R- Resilient
I - Independent
S - Sincere
H - Honest
She could have added " tenacious, " but that
would have given her two Ts. Those traits
dominate the conversation with those who
know White-Boyd.
Says Mayor Sherman Lea: " Trish is compassionate,
yet firm. She's intelligent with exceptional
communication and interpersonal skills.
I appreciate her boldness to stand solid on
issues she believes are better for all citizens.
That's something that's truly needed in today's
political arena: a person who is not intimidated.
Last year she made the motion to move municipal
elections in Roanoke to November. It was
a controversial move, but she stood her ground.
Shortly thereafter the General Assembly
moved all elections to November. "
She has " stood her ground " on controversial
and confrontational issues like restricting guns
at council meetings, people's right to protest,
TheRoanoker.com
is the By-Word
written by Dan Smith
Roanoke's Vice Mayor didn't envision a political future, but one fell into her lap.
She has run hard with it since, using the lessons she's learned in business and in life.
renda Hale, the voice of Black
activism for more than a generation
in Roanoke, was recently
asked to evaluate Roanoke Vice
Mayor Trish White-Boyd. She
and publicly asking Councilman Robert Jeffrey
(who was under indictment for embezzlement)
to resign.
Behind that airplane landing light of a smile
stands a tough, stubborn woman who fights.
Adversity has not stopped - or even slowed -
her, says the Mayor. " I gained so much respect
for Trish given that in 2016 she was declared
the winner in the city council election but later
was advised that there was a miscount and she
lost by 50 votes. For most people, that would
have caused them to not become involved in
politics again. However, Trish had the determination
to seek a seat on Council because, as
she described it to me, she wanted to make a
difference in our community. "
Hale calls White-Boyd " an excellent role
model for the youth in the community. She is
married to an absolute phenomenal husband
[Colbert Boyd] and they have raised successful
children. She has set the bar high as a businesswoman
and as a minority entrepreneur. "
City Manager Bob Cowell says White-Boyd
" brings a tenaciousness [there's that word] to
the council that ensures progress on priorities
continues and that good work keeps happening.
[She also] brings the perspective of a small
business owner and entrepreneur, helping the
council keep in mind the impact of its decisions
on those owning and operating businesses in
our community. "
Former Vice Mayor and current council
enacity
member Joe Cobb believes White-Boyd to
be " a fantastic Vice Mayor. She is passionate
about our city and works hard to keep citizens
engaged in the process of making a
difference in keeping our city healthy and
vibrant. Her efforts in leading our Equity and
Empowerment Advisory Board are keeping us
focused on being the most diverse, equitable
and inclusive city we can be. "
The Roanoke Vice Mayor is actually a native
of Florida, born 59 years ago in the ultraconservative
Panhandle community of Chipley,
which has 4,000 people now, about the same as
when she was growing up. " It doesn't change a
lot there, " she says. Indeed, Chipley is as much
an extension of South Alabama - less than
50 miles away - as it is a part of Florida, she
says. The attitudes and hide-bound prejudices
remain in place, but " I'm still close to a lot of
my classmates " and she returns for occasional
visits.
In high school, she not only excelled
academically, but also as an athlete (track,
basketball and cheerleading). She enjoyed
studying foreign languages and had vocational
training for half a day before moving on to
Miami Dade Community College. She ultimately
took her degree in business administration
from Averett College's (now University)
satellite program at the Roanoke Higher
Education Center.
MARCH/APRIL 2022 35
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The Roanoker March/April 2022

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