Politics & Government

Meet the Candidate: Teresa Czyz

Teresa Czyz is running for City Council Post 1 against Thomas Wight.

This is the sixth in a series profiling all candidates of local political offices on Lilburn-Mountain Park Patch.

When Teresa Czyz sees shuttered businesses in Lilburn, she says she sees more than empty retail space.

“I look at them as opportunities for growth and the chance for us to build the kind of city we want it to be,” she said.

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An engineer – Czyz works in transmission planning at Georgian Transmission Corp. and has more than 20 years experience in electric utility planning – the candidate stresses the importance of mindful planning, considering the possible impact today’s actions will have on the city in the future.

Czyz is originally from Johnstown, Penn., which is about 15 miles from where Flight 93 went down in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Chance and family brought her to Lilburn; a brother was living in the unincorporated area when she was looking for a change after taking a leave of absence from work to care for her ailing father.

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In the nine years since moving here, the native Pennsylvanian hasn’t looked back, embracing life in the South, football and all – specifically, Falcons style. Czyz has season tickets for the Atlanta team’s games.

Czyz is single and says her kids are the four-legged kind – a Doberman and a Doberman mix.

"They are my children, and they walk all over me," Czyz laughs.

And so she fills her nonworking days with volunteering and caring for neighbors. And that’s another theme that emerges immediately when talking with her about her goals if elected to city council: building more community and stronger neighborhoods in Lilburn.

“We’ve gotten so busy, we don’t connect with neighbors any more,” she said.

The vice president of SafetySmart Lilburn, Czyz has helped neighborhoods form watch groups and coordinated National Night Out Lilburn for the past two years.

One of her favorite activities is strolling the neighborhoods, talking to people, keeping an eye out for those around her in need, and helping out when she can.

"I try to keep in contact with the elderly in the neighborhood, especially if they live alone," she said.

Earlier this year, Czyz organized a project to repair the house of an elderly, disabled woman whose home had been reported to the city's code enforcement office. The woman wasn't able to pay for the repairs necessary to meet the code.

Czyz (pronounced sizz, as in sizzle) is a member of the city’s alcohol review board and the planning commission board, and her involvement in the city’s affairs was a motivator to run for council.

“It’s time that some of this generation step up and start taking advantage of that experience (of older people on the council) and learn from it,” Czyz said. "I see opportunity in this city."

Specifically, Czyz mentioned the Community Improvement District and the Downtown Development Authority as positive elements in the city's development.

“I would like to see the city progress, move forward into the 21st century," Czyz said, "bringing businesses and opportunity for people to work.”

Articles published in this series so far:


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