Hello! I'm Michelle De La Isla...
...City Council Member for the City of Topeka, District 5, and Diversity and Inclusion Representative at Westar Energy. I’ve spent my life devoted to serving my community. I faced many challenges as a young woman, and was able to overcome the obstacles put in my path because of members of the Topeka community who walked beside me and believed in me. I know the true power of compassion and kindness, and have since felt called to pay that kindness forward by serving my community. I have a wide range of professional, volunteer, and leadership experiences. I owned and operated a small cleaning business, taught biology at Butler County Community College, and served as the Director of Operations and later as the Chief Financial Officer at the Housing and Credit Council. As the Executive Director for Habitat for Humanity, I worked closely with the board and volunteers to grow the program and to identify and obtain a permanent home for the organization. I have dedicated much of my time to civic activism and leadership development in the Topeka community. I worked closely with Upward Bound and MANA National, and was one of the four founding members of the Hermanitas mentorship program. I also served on the Capital District Project committee, which ignited my passion for the redevelopment of Topeka and the cultivation of a vibrant urban core. But all of these experiences, and all of these titles, pale in comparison to the greatest honor of all: being the mom of Erick, Loraine, and Cristina. Topeka is the community of my dreams. I love raising my children here, and I have planted deep roots in this Kansas soil. It’s my job to show the citizens of Topeka and everyone else looking in that this place we call home, is an amazing community with unlimited potential. I firmly believe that when we work together, Topeka can and will prosper. I would be honored to receive your support, and I know that if we work together, our future is bright. Please cast your vote for Michelle De La Isla for Mayor of Topeka in 2017.