Meet Izola

About Izola Shaw

Izola is a community leader, policymaker, and an advocate. She believes that good policy making is founded in our elected leaders’ ability to listen, connect with, and understand the lived experiences and needs of community members.

IZOLA’S FAMILY BACKGROUND AND EARLY LIFE

Born into a family of dedicated public servants with an American legacy of social justice, Izola understands that it is the shared responsibility of the whole community to contribute to its progress. Izola’s mother, a women’s rights activist, became a Dean at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).  Her father was a Navy veteran and served over 40 years in the federal government. Prior to his military service, he was one of five Black students to desegregate his Virginia high school in the 1960s. Following in the footsteps of his own father, Izola’s grandfather was a trailblazer for workers’ rights and a leader of the historic Pullman Porters- the first Black union in America.

Izola grew up in Cambridge MA. During the end of her junior year in high school, bad housing policy led to extreme rent hikes and Izola’s family was forced to move out of their home and jurisdiction. Due to her parents' efforts, Izola fortunately didn’t have to change schools during a pivotal time when she was trying to focus on applying for college and plan for the next steps in her life. Izola’s lived experience of being displaced and truly understanding the consequences of housing instability shaped her belief that everyone deserves safe, attainable, stable housing, and it is essential for our community to thrive.

EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY

Izola is a proud alumna of Howard University (Go Bisons!), where she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a dual degree in Political Science and History. Upon graduating from Howard University in 2002, Izola went on to receive her Master’s in Economic and Community Development at Johns Hopkins University. Her experiences at these two prestigious universities led her to serve throughout western and southern Africa, where she spearheaded community economic development projects in some of the world’s most impoverished communities.

Izola moved to Rockville more than a decade ago. After initially meeting her husband-to-be at Howard University in the 1990s, she ran into him again years later at a Rockville grocery store and the couple got married shortly after. Izola has done more than establish roots in Rockville, her dedication and service to her community is exceptional. 

IZOLA’S SERVICE

Driven by a strong sense of service and social justice, Izola’s core belief is that government can be a vehicle for positive change. Izola’s service includes:

• Leading emergency preparedness outreach programs for local governments nationwide with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which successfully resulted in the reduction of harm and enhanced community resilience from pending disasters.

• Serving as a Senior Communication and Outreach Consultant for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to improve America’s public health outcomes, including during the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Advocating successfully for a temporary hold on rent increases for Rockville renters during the COVID-19 pandemic, preventing unnecessary evictions and homelessness of Rockville families.

• Serving as Chair of the voter expansion subcommittee on the Rockville Charter Review Commission to advocate for increased voter turnout in our city elections.

• Drafting, advocating for, and organizing community members that led to the passage of landmark affordable housing legislation in Montgomery County.

• Appointed to the Montgomery County Racial Equity and Social Justice Advisory Committee (RESJAC) by the County Executive and elected as the first female Chair.

• Advising the Montgomery County Executive, County Council and County agencies on strategies to champion policies, programs, and legislation that advance equity and social justice.

• Serving on the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection’s Community Justice Academy to develop innovative ways to better engage the community and co-create climate policies.

• Engaging with Rockville Department heads on public works, policing, housing, and environmental protection through the Rockville City Academy.

• Appointed to Montgomery County’s Domestic Violence Coordinating Committee and championed comprehensive wrap-around services for survivors and their children in support of their journey to safer and healthier lives.