Meet Allison Scott

 

  Lifetime local Allison Scott is a trans woman who advocates for LGBTQ Southerners as the Director of Impact & Innovation for the Campaign for Southern Equality. Allison’s career has spanned working in the corporate world to serving her community as a community organizer and bridge builder who has coordinated with school systems, churches, businesses, news agencies, medical practices, and politicians regarding equality for LGBTQ people at the local, state, and national level.

My Asheville Roots

 I am an Asheville fifth generation lifetime local who grew up in Oakley and Emma communities and attended Reynolds and Erwin High Schools along with AB Tech. My grandmother and I would take the bus downtown to the depot (now Pritchard Park) and eat at the Woolworth’s counter.  A lot has changed in Asheville over the years but this remarkable city will always be my hometown.

My career has included working in Information Technology at Care Partners in Asheville, Rockwell Automation, Baldor Electric, and ABB. Recently I was excited to make the jump from the business world to non-profit work. For the past three and a half years I have served as the Director of Impact & Innovation at the Campaign for Southern Equality (CSE).

Effective Advocacy and Community Organizing

I have worked extensively in Asheville and Western North Carolina fighting for LGBTQ lives and legal equality. I consulted with Buncombe County Schools and Asheville City Schools to implement LGBT-inclusive policies in K-12 schools. I also fiercely advocated for Asheville and Buncombe’s first non-discrimination ordinances. My advocacy work has taken me into many local communities including churches, medical facilities, schools, and other workplaces.

For three years, I served on the Asheville Citizen’s Police Advisory Committee (CPAC), and I chaired it for one year. During my tenure as Chair, we introduced a proposal to the City Council for the formation of an  APD Citizen Review Board which is currently under consideration. As part of an equity initiative, we worked with the City Council to create a reimbursement system for CPAC and all other Asheville boards and committees.

I served on the board as treasurer for Girls Rock Asheville for two years and currently serves on the advisory board for Caring for Children of Western North Carolina.  Last year, I was recruited to serve as the Co-Chair for the Biden for President, North Carolina LGBTQ Leadership Council.  I have participated in working sessions advocating for LGBTQ rights at both the regional level and with the US Department of Justice, the Department of Labor, and the EEOC. I also had the pleasure of being a featured speaker at Creative Mornings in downtown Asheville.  

I currently live in Montford with my partner, Daniel Best, my twelve-year-old son, Connor, and our goofy dog, Chewie. I love cooking and photography, biking around town, and exploring the amazing restaurant scene in Asheville. We also all enjoy hiking in the mountains, playing on the French Broad River, and traveling adventures.  

This year, I was humbled to be selected as one of four national candidates to be supported by the Victory Institute’s Women out to Win Campaign.