Cupid Has a Heart for South Cobb and Plans to be Next Commissioner

Lisa Cupid, a 34-year-old community activist, officially announced her run for Cobb County District 4 Commissioner on Oct. 23 with a celebration at the Wingate Wyndham hotel in the Six Flags area.

Her father, Mark Smith, spoke lovingly about his daughter to the crowd of about 50, but he probably best summed Cupid up in one phrase: “difference-maker.”

Cupid, who has been the facilitator of the Austell Community Taskforce Partnership since its inception two years ago, is also currently earning law and public administration degrees while working and volunteering in the South Cobb community.

“My commitment to this area has never changed,” Cupid said.

And later in a phone interview, she said, “A strength I think I bring is mediation and being able to bring people together for a common cause.”

Cupid earned multiple awards for leadership and service commitment while earning her bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology in 2000. After graduation, Cupid was one of the first participants in a Fortune 500 company’s manufacturing leadership program. Cupid moved on to a position with a partnership of Metro Atlanta’s 15 Chambers of Commerce before working in the Governor’s Office and then as a policy analyst researcher.

She was selected as one of 30 Urban Fellows at Georgia State University. As an Urban Fellow, she discusses urban development with civic and nonprofit leaders from all over Metro Atlanta.

Cupid has been married for nine years to her husband, Craig, and they have two children. She has lived in the Six Flags area for nine of the 11 years that she has resided in Cobb County.

“Don’t believe the hype when they say she can’t do it,” Cupid told a room of about 50 people about balancing family, education and her commissioner duties if elected. 

People told her she was “crazy” for deciding to run.

To that, Cupid responds, “What would be crazy would be for my children to grow up here and be battling the same issues that we’re battling now when I’m able to make a difference.”

As Cupid began contemplating the future of her two sons, soon-to-be-3-year-old Nehemiah and 1-year-old Noah, she realized that she needed to run for the county commissioner seat to help bring about change in her community for the next generation.

“In four years, my children will be 5 and 7 years old. Their world is going to transcend far beyond the four walls of our home,” Cupid said, adding that she is tired of seeing “synergy wasted and goals not realized” in the South Cobb area.

“Is this the community I want my children to be raised in or is it something better? I just don’t like talking about something and not seeing something happen,” she continued.

The image many people have of South Cobb is not the most favorable one, Cupid admits.

However, she said she encourages visits to her community to help shake that negative reputation.

“Come here. Meet these people. Not all is bad here. We have a lot to work with here, and we still have a long way to go.”

Cupid has identified eight key issues­–including educational centers, environmental health and protection and economic development– she plans to address if elected as District 4 Commissioner for Cobb County.

As for community development, Cupid’s website states, “Our communities–where people live, work and spend leisure time–should be attractive, safe, walkable and accessible to amenities that at least meet the basic needs of those in the area.”

Additionally, Cupid would like to try new ways to get South Cobb residents involved in the studies being conducted in the area.

“We need to look at unique ways of getting participation” and “making sure we’re truly connecting to people in the best ways.” One way to do this, Cupid said, is to partner with many of the churches in the area.

When describing his wife, Craig Cupid said, “What keeps Lisa alive is not food or water. It’s serving others. She does it, not for the awards and the accolades, but for the community.”

Read more about Cupid and her stance on specific issues on her website: www.cupidforcobb.com.