Greetings,
My name is Lisa Lucas Gardner and I am a native of Blacksburg.  My roots go back to this area to the mid 1700's so I feel a little entitled to be passionate about this land.  My ancestors helped make our town the place it is today.  Their sweat and blood have been shed on this land and I will not forget the sacrifices that they made.

I "migrated" from Blacksburg to Christiansburg about ten years ago because I liked the small town image that Blacksburg didnt have anymore.  My husband, Roger, was born here in town.  His ancestors were founding fathers of the original Town of Christiansburg.  We bought an abandoned house (the old Rangley place that is now called appropriately "The Gardner House.")  The house that was an eyesore on a major  downtown thoroughfare.  We restored the house and it is now an attractive downtown home.  We now have a vested interest to live the rest of our lives here so we as well get involved.

I spent the first half of my life in the field of law.  I was a police officer for twelve years in Maryland and Blacksburg.  I then put myself through law school at New England School of Law in Boston and was a single mother of two young sons at the same time.  I returned to this area but found that the "law" here was not the same law that I had once envisioned it to be.  I took the Virginia Bar exam several times but struggle with a learning disability and did not pass.  I now believe that it was a Godsend and not meant to be.  I have decided that I will not participate in a government institution that I believe is unfair and treats classes of citizens differently.

I have found the need to vent my frustrations with local government and try to bring awareness to my fellow residents of this small town.  I taught Political Science & Forensic Science at Radford University several years ago and Local/State Government & Federal Government at New River Community College.  Based on my background in government and my higher educational experience I feel that it is my civic duty to help others understand what happens around us each and everyday.

Several years ago I suffered a period of depression.  I experienced an incident that contained a false accusation against me and the outcome was a devestating setback in my life.  Although that incident greatly disappointed me and my faith in the justice system, I have now overcome my depression period, the consequences of that time in my life, and now have a new outlook on life.  I can only hope that others do not suffer the same period of depression and the things that happened as a consequence.  Through my personal faith in God and medication I will be here to speak up for a long, long, time.

Thank you for visiting my blog and taking your time to get involved.  Together we can make a difference.