By Sada Stewart Troutman

Processing the loss of a leader and mentor like Mayor Karen Alexander will be an ongoing, nonlinear battle for myself and the entire community. However, I wanted to share some thoughts on the formidable woman who I met for one of the first times when she showed up to landscape an entire block of Main Street in pearls and a suit — and planted more than a few trees that way, outworking men dressed for the occasion.

When I transitioned to working for the city, I would often field calls from Mayor while she was at a conference or meeting in another community, because she was always searching for ways Salisbury could continue to grow and progress, and she wanted to share those ideas. Mayor was one of downtown Salisbury’s most ardent champions. Her passion for Salisbury was unmatched, and her desire to make Salisbury a better place for everyone was evident in every decision she made, every collaborative conversation she facilitated and every event she attended (which seemed to be every event in town). I feel comfortable in saying Mayor Alexander touched each of our lives in profound ways, as a mentor, friend, champion, neighbor, leader and many other titles she proudly wore.

She took credit for little, and is responsible for so much. She took time to know each person that worked around her — not for political or professional gain, but because she genuinely cared about each person in her orbit. She not only worked with grace and skill and confidence, she instilled that in those fortunate enough to work with and around her.

Mayor may leave a legacy of pearls and perfectly tailored suits, and she also leaves a legacy of empathetic and hands-on leadership that has shaped current and future Salisbury for the better. She told me in a recent text she was grateful for people who lead with head and heart — something she had mastered in her own career. I am so grateful to Mayor and her family for sharing her passion and her life with all of us.

Sada Stewart Troutman is Salisbury’s downtown development director.