Meet Lisette
I am a Hilton Head local. I was raised on this beautiful island along with my brother Paul and my two sisters Robin and Nicole. My daughters, Gabrielle and Delany, were also raised on Hilton Head where they attended our public schools. This island isn’t just my home, it’s also part of my DNA. Whenever I cross that bridge, I am filled with gratitude for all the amazing memories this little slice of heaven has afforded me.
I’m a proud graduate of The University of South Carolina for both my undergraduate and graduate degrees and was trained at the Harvard Mind/Body Medical Institute. As a Clinical Social Worker and Psychotherapist, I have helped thousands of people heal and transform their lives. I have been a small business owner, a corporate consultant specializing in conflict resolution and company culture development, a Behavioral Health Specialist, and an educator.
I am not a politician; I am your neighbor and I understand the challenges our Lowcountry faces because my family and I are living them. My rather large and loving family is a microcosm of the issues that Hilton Head, Daufuskie, and Levy contend with today. They also represent diverse political affiliations and ideologies, so we have learned to listen to each other with respect and engage in civil discourse while preserving our relationship — a skill I intend to bring to the Statehouse.
My family is representative of the many issues we confront as a community today. As a psychotherapist with over 25 years of experience, I am keenly aware of the Lowcountry’s need for more access to affordable mental health resources. On a daily basis, my sister Robin sees the disparities in our health care system as an ICU nurse at Hilton Head Hospital. She also speaks with urgency on the need for local resources for treating addiction and substance abuse. My brother Paul has worked tirelessly for over 14 years building the Fellowship of Christian Athletes to help our local youth with stabilizing spiritual development. His wife, Bebe Cifaldi, taught in our public school system for over 26 years and has experienced the hijacking of our kids’ education with excessive testing and teachers being stretched to the limits while enduring diminishing respect. My sister-in-law, Amanda Cifaldi, has struggled to find staffing for her restaurant, Pomodori, due to the lack of affordable workforce housing. My parents, who are retired and on a fixed income, struggle with the high cost of groceries and medical care. My family stands steadfastly behind me as I run for the SC House of Representatives to begin tackling the problems we face as a family and as a community.
I am entering the race to win the SC House seat for District 123 because my voice, the voices of my daughters, sisters, mother, female friends, and colleagues have been silenced in South Carolina. Our state ranks third nationwide in the least number of women represented in state legislatures and we are the only state with an all-male Supreme Court. As I watch newly enacted and very conservative laws restricting women’s needed healthcare adopted all over this nation, and our state legislature loosen gun laws, I have grown afraid for the women of South Carolina. We have reached a critical point for women’s rights in my home state and the time has come to be part of the solution. Women, need to be in the rooms where laws are being passed, important local and state issues are being discussed, and budgets are being set. I welcome the opportunity to be of service to my community and state by serving as Hilton Head, Daufuskie, and Levy’s next SC House Representative.