My Story

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Hello! My name is V Fixmer-Oraiz and I am a Democrat running for Johnson County Supervisor to serve a community that I love deeply, one that I have called home for the last 10 years. My wife and I have chosen to build a family and a life here because we treasure all that Johnson County has to offer–our public parks and trails, devoted educators and health care providers, the warm embrace of literature and the arts, our local food agriculture, and a supportive business community.

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As the child of a Navy Seal, my family moved around a lot, including to California, Virginia, and Panama, Central America. My parents had different stories – my dad was raised in a large Catholic family in rural Illinois; my mom was born in the Philippines and came to the US at nine years old with her mom and little sister. Still, my parents shared with me a sense of adventure, a strong work ethic that leaves no task undone, and a commitment to serving the public.

 

Young adulthood was not easy. There were far fewer resources and protections for LGBTQ+ people in the 1990s; I faced housing insecurity and struggled to make ends meet with low-wage jobs. It took over a decade, but with grit and determination, I was able to finish community college, complete a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies, and secure a Fulbright award to study climate change impacts on farming communities in the Philippines. Arriving in Johnson County in 2012, I completed a Master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Iowa in order to better understand the environmental challenges we face, and how we can work together to build safe, equitable, and resilient communities for everyone.

 

Professional Experience and Community Leadership

I am a small business owner with 15+ years of training and experience in environmental and community planning. My credentials include:

• Masters Degree, Urban and Regional Planning, University of Iowa  

• Certified Planner, American Planning Association

• Alumni, Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses

 

My service to our community includes:

• Vice President, Johnson County Affordable Housing Coalition

• Board Member, Iowa City Area Business Partnership

• Committee Co-Chair, APA Iowa Chapter's Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee

• (Past) Chair, Housing and Community Development Commission of Iowa City

• (Past) Board Member, Monsoon Asians and Pacific Islanders in Solidarity

 

As a professional environmental and community planner, I have worked with the cities of Coralville, Iowa City, Kalona, Council Bluffs, Marshalltown, and North Liberty on various projects, including EPA-funded Brownfields Redevelopment, an Extreme Weather Event in Iowa City’s South District Neighborhood, and the Flood Resilience Action Plan for Coralville. In this work, I consider climate and social justice as critical to building stronger communities.

 

In 2019, I founded my own company, Astig Planning, to address the urgencies of climate change and social justice through planning. I am proud to have partnered with the University of Iowa to lead their Campus Safety Action Plan outreach process. Astig Planning has recently won statewide awards for our work in watershed planning and community resilience.

 

These experiences have prepared me to meet this critical moment. I believe that resilience and healing are possible. If we work together, we can build a Johnson County where everyone has what they need to thrive. I’m running for Johnson County Supervisor to make that vision a reality, and I’m asking for your support.

 

 

For more information about my platform, click here.

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