Letter: Shankland supports community with her actions

To the Editor-

I’ve known Representative Katrina Shankland for almost 10 years. I might even say we were starting our “careers” at the same time in the fall of 2011. That year I jumped in head first as the first executive director of Central Rivers Farmshed and Katrina, she was busy readying her first State Assembly run at the ripe age of 25.

In the fall of 2012, she won that election and joined the legislature in January of 2013. I’d bet some people took Katrina and I for a wee bit naive all those years back, thinking we bit off more than we could chew, yet they entrusted us to do what we’d set our minds to, and we did while never looking back.

To me, Katrina is the epitome of a public servant. She doesn’t show up in the community to glad-hand, she’s there because of her unwavering commitment to learning from the people she represents and taking what she’s gleaned back to Madison to make our state’s legislature work better for us. In a political era fraught with politicians won over by funded interests, she still believes, and fights, for a government for and by the people that stands up for human rights and safeguards environmental resources.

Katrina is one of the hardest working people I know and her tireless efforts toward supporting her community go far beyond her elected responsibilities. I know because I have been a recipient of these thoughtful acts like…that time she worked with my colleague to have an official “Citation of Commendation” made to acknowledge my contributions to the local food community or when she nominated my business for the Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin contest (when we were hardly a month into actual product sales).

She didn’t do those things to prop herself up; she did them to prop up me up, because that’s who she is. Katrina is truly proud of this community and finds ways to support the people in it however she possibly can.

I hope you’re as proud and thankful for Katrina’s service as I am and that you will join me in enthusiastically re-electing her to State Assembly on November 3.

Layne Cozzolino
Portage Co. resident

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