Lori Nance Parrish
Coming from a working class background, young Lori Nance Parrish moved to Broward County from the Midwest with her family when she was eight years old in 1956. Lori worked as a bookkeeper, a plant store owner, and a painting and landscape contractor while raising and supporting her two young children. She volunteered her time to several civic and community groups, including the Davie/Cooper City Chamber of Commerce, PTA, HRS, Red Cross, and the Library Advisory Board, while balancing the demands of home and work. In 1984, motivated by the desire to improve educational standards in Broward County public schools, Lori ran and was elected to a four-year term on the Broward County School Board after defeating her opposition in primary and general elections. She served as Vice Chair and Chair. Lori's common sense approach to government appealed to Broward's diverse voters in 1988 when she ran and was elected to the Broward County Commission. Her straight-talking, "tell-it-like-it-is" style was one of the refreshing changes she brought to County government. As a Commissioner, Lori championed such causes as fiscal restraint, less bureaucracy, environmental protection, the rights of domestic violence victims, public safety, economic development, mass transit and improved health services, including the need for a pediatric pathologist. Dedicated to the equal treatment of all citizens, she has won praise for her efforts to open opportunities for women and minorities, and was inducted into the Broward County Women's Hall of Fame on March 15, 1997. She was elected Vice Chair of the County Commission in 1989 and 1996 and Chair in 1990,1997 and 2001 and was re-elected to four-year terms in 1992, 1996 and 2000, without opposition. In 2004, Lori left the County Commission to run for Broward County Property Appraiser. Running on a promise to ensure a fair shake for all taxpayers, Lori was overwhelmingly elected with 61% of the vote. She was re-elected in 2008 with 97%. Her current term as Property Appraiser runs until January 2013. Since taking office in January 2005 as our Property Appraiser, Lori moved to rapidly modernize the antiquated office she inherited.
