HI, MY NAME IS… Cathy Carlat
I’VE LIVED IN PEORIA FOR 21 YEARS AND I LOVE IT BECAUSE… Peoria is filled with great residents who care and live by wholesome values. Peoria is filled with beauty—the Sonoran Desert, the mountains, the lake. Peoria embraces our business community. Peoria is all about families. I could go on and on!
A TYPICAL DAY IN MY LIFE INCLUDES… There are no typical days for a mayor! Activities center around advocating for and advancing the best interests of Peoria. That means internal meetings working on policies that bring vision to life and guide our operation, setting agendas for council meetings, and briefings on developments and projects; external meetings with legislators to impact bills and laws that effect Peoria; regional meetings to assure Peoria gets its fair share of transportation funding and economic development projects; statewide meetings to represent Peoria’s interests on issues such as water, public and private lands, housing, public safety, utilities, and legislation. I meet with mayors across the state on a regular basis to assure Peoria can get results in this highly competitive arena. Serving as president of organizations such as Arizona Municipal Water Users Assn., and the League of Arizona Cities and Towns gives a boost to Peoria’s priorities. Spring is always centered around analyzing and crafting a balanced budget and then taking my annual State of the City out to the community. Most importantly, I attend events and meetings with our residents such as veterans clubs, HOAs, nonprofit organizations, and our business community. There are never enough hours in the day but shaping Peoria’s finest future is completely worth it.
MY FAMILY IS… Everything to me! My husband Dennis and I have three grown kids, two local and one in Texas, and we have three grandkids who give us unlimited joy. I’m happy to say that my mother, my two sisters, and their families are all close by. If I could get my Texas family out here, life would be complete.
ONE THING I CANNOT LIVE WITHOUT IS… Sugar cookies. No, wait. I meant to say ice cream. No, it’s really Peeps. I love Peeps!
MY FAVORITE MOVIE I COULD NEVER GET TIRED OF WATCHING AND WHY IS… “Forrest Gump.” I love his insertion into the events of the day, and the evolution of Lt. Dan and Jenny as they work through their demons. And through it all, Forest is unaffected by the havoc of the times and never loses the simple virtues of his better angels.
WHEN I WAS YOUNGER, I WANTED TO BE… Tall! I’ve learned to let that go!
THE SONG I WOULD SING AT KAROAKE NIGHT IS… I love music. I love listening to others sing. No one would love listening to me sing!
THE ONE PERSON WHO MOTIVATES ME IS… I’m going to name two. My husband, who never stops thinking up new ideas. He finds humor in the most surprising places, and he is a tireless competitor. And, my mother, who spent her life doing the impossible. She wanted a swimming pool and knowing we would never be able to afford such an extravagance, she built it herself. Yes, she dug it with a shovel, she put in the plumbing and tile, she did everything by herself except the granite. She wanted a larger living room, so she took a sledgehammer to the wall, extended the room 3 feet, rebuilt the wall, and built a fireplace in the corner. She did it all by hand with the help of an A to Z How To encyclopedia set. A new roof, Murphy beds, tiled backsplash, and more, nothing has ever been too daunting for my mother.
THE LAST THING THAT MADE ME LAUGH OUT LOUD WAS… When I get together with my mother and my sisters, we seem to recall the funny side of everything that’s ever happened in our lives!
MY PERFECT DAY INCLUDES… A girl’s day with my granddaughters.
MY FAVORITE LOCAL NONPROFIT IS… There are so many great ones—American Legion Auxiliary, Heart for the City, Billy’s Place, Deep Within, Soldier’s Best Friend, Firefighter’s Charities, Bloom 365, Theaterworks, Peoria Diamond Club, HART Pantry, Shop with a Cop…
MY LIFE IS… Full. Fun. Gratifying.
THE BEST GIFT I’VE EVER RECEIVED WAS… My husband surprised me with a vintage convertible, baby blue, T-Bird.
MY DREAM VACATION WOULD BE… I can’t seem to get enough of Italy, I need to spend much more time there. I’m very interested in history so when I have time, I’d also like to do a World War II tour through Europe and a Civil War tour through the United States.
THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I’VE EVER RECEIVED WAS… throughout my life and in many different ways, my incredible dad’s message was: “Don’t let fear stop you from moving forward.”
