"Housing should be approved in a way that is aesthetically pleasing with green space. It is important for elected officials to focus on the value of keeping part of the parish rural in character. That is part of its charm, giving it a sense of family and community."
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As I sat down to prepare for my interview with Colleen Hawley, I came to realize that every time I have ever seen or met with her, she was always smiling and quick with a laugh. She is the eternal optimist and her interview was full of insight and wit. It was an interview I thoroughly enjoyed as I hope you do as well.
SW: You grew up in New Orleans, graduated high school from Isidore Newman and college from Tulane—what brought you to the Northshore?
I wanted to raise my children in a more traditional and secure environment. I like the sense of community the Northshore provides and I love the fact that it is a short distance to my old stomping grounds.
SW: I know the difficulty involved in balancing family and being a working mom. How do you do it?
I purposely chose a profession in consulting for its flexibility of time. My children are the focus of my life—my great joy. I want to always be there for them, but I also want to be able to provide financial security.
SW: Speaking of family, you have two boys, what are they like?
I adore my children. Mark, who will be 18 this month, is a junior at St. Paul’s. Jack is 13 and a 7th grader at Kehoe-France. They are both very active in sports including football, golf and all water sports. We have a really great time together.
SW: What is your favorite food?
That’s a really tough question. Since my gastric bypass surgery, I’ve had to drastically alter my eating habits. If I have to choose, I would say seafood. I love it. [Hawley’s decision to have gastric bypass surgery was for health reasons. Having suffered from severe acid reflux, and with her esophageal lining being torn away as a result, the surgery proved to be a necessity. Now Colleen looks at the surgery as a divine intervention to become healthy again. Eight months to the day after her surgery, her husband, Mark Taney Hawley passed away. For Colleen, the tragic event brought home the reality that life is a gift to be grateful for, not property to hang onto.]
SW: Do you have a favorite quote or saying?
I love the quote, “I am prepared to meet my Maker. Whether my Maker is prepared for the great ordeal of meeting me is another matter,” by Sir Winston Churchill because I kind of feel the same way, (laughing). However, I would have to say my favorite quote which also defines my philosophy on life is, “All great things are simple, and many can be expressed in single words: freedom, justice, honor, duty, mercy, hope,” also by Sir Winston Churchill.
SW: What are your strengths?
I am very comfortable in my own skin. I have a healthy outlook on life and strive to live my life with purpose. I enjoy the ability to see the extraordinary in an ordinary day.
SW: What have you strived to instill in your children?
I try to teach my children to have a sense of community. I want them to have the spiritual knowledge to know that they are placed on this earth, not for themselves, but to help others. [Hawley spends every week working at the Covington Food Bank, doing whatever is needed. Her children often accompany her. She has been a member of the religious education faculty of St. Anselm Catholic Church for the last seven years and is a facilitator of Ignatian home retreats for the Sisters of the Cenacle.]
SW: How is it that you became a community activist?
I became an activist for our community when I took my husband’s place on the Tchefuncta Country Club Estates Neighborhood Association board. It was in this capacity that I became more aware of what the needs of the community were, and I have worked to achieve them ever since.
SW: What changes do you see for the Northshore?
The complexion of the Northshore has radically changed in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, as 10 to 15 years of planned steady growth came to the Northshore overnight. Growth is good if it is handled in such a way that it does not diminish the quality of life or denigrate property values. It needs to be executed so that traffic is alleviated, not exacerbated. Housing should be approved in a way that is aesthetically pleasing with green space. It is important for elected officials to focus on the value of keeping part of the parish rural in character. That is part of its charm, giving it a sense of family and community.
SW: What is “Smart Growth”?
To me, smart growth means we go back to some of the traditional values we use to have in our community. It should have a certain pedestrian quality with mixed-use housing providing amenities that improve life, like libraries, schools, a local deli or grocery store. We need to grow our community in such a way that we do not lose our tree-lined streets and we become less dependent on automobiles to move around. There needs to be sidewalks and biking trails. I am very concerned about the political and financial pressures to provide housing in the aftermath of Katrina. We need to make sure we are able to provide for our population growth in a way that will nurture the assets we have on the Northshore.
Some of these are issues to be resolved at the state level. As a parish, our hands are tied. We are dependent on the benevolence of the Causeway Commission, developer impact fees and sales tax revenues. We need to push for a greater percentage of our tax revenues to be spent here on the Northshore. Roadway projects need to be reprioritized. I firmly believe that the
I-12 corridor is a key to the future of economic development for the state. If treated as an Enterprise Zone, it could be the fuel that drives the engine. I would love to see these ideals engendered in legislators all over the state. We also need to work together as a region, hand in hand with the southshore, to rebuild and revitalize South Louisiana, especially after Katrina. If we do not begin to work together as a region, we are doomed to fail, as a region.
SW: You are a candidate for the District 77 seat in the Louisiana House of Representatives. How did you come to this decision?
It actually came about as a sort of grassroots phenomenon. I have been approached and encouraged by different groups from all walks of life, from business to neighborhood to elected officials. I have realized that activism has become a part of my personality—of who I am. I have been an effective activist in our community, and I am willing to work for our needs of the future. I want a future that keeps the best of our past while making the most of our potential. I want a future with roads, drainage and water that really meet our needs, not just for now, but for decades to come. I want a future with an economy that creates opportunity for everyone in this generation and those that follow—right here, where we live. I want a future where we work together to build on the strengths, resources and creativity of our entire region. I know I have what it takes to get us there.
SW: What is the greatest gift you have ever received?
My greatest gift is my children. They are the wonderful legacy my husband left me. We are the best of friends and I truly enjoy them. They make me laugh. They are good, rich company—a blessing. |
