Toole seeks third term focused on service

Hannah Toole has been active as a city com­mis­sion­er for four years, serv­ing on sev­er­al local gov­ern­ment boards and com­mit­tees, and she wants to con­tin­ue that work for a third term.

She is espe­cial­ly con­cerned with pro­vid­ing qual­i­ty pub­lic ser­vices dur­ing a time of ris­ing costs, and enhanc­ing the local parks sys­tem, which ben­e­fits the com­mu­ni­ty in so many ways.

“My dri­ve and com­mit­ment to con­tin­ued ser­vice is the force behind my desire to serve on the com­mis­sion,” she said in a can­di­date ques­tion­naire. “I will con­tin­ue to work tire­less­ly to imple­ment growth and change in an ever-shift­ing envi­ron­ment, through resilience and tenacity.”

“I am eager to stand up, ask ques­tions, and chal­lenge the norm,” she said.

Toole, a 2003 grad­u­ate of George Rogers Clark High School, earned her bachelor’s degree from Queens University in Charlotte, North Carolina in 2007. While in col­lege, she worked in Charlotte as a real estate bro­ker assistant.

When she returned home, she worked for 13 years in bev­er­age sales, rep­re­sent­ing pres­ti­gious, world-renowned brands and earn­ing sev­er­al awards, includ­ing Sazarec Salesperson of the Year.

In 2023, Toole earned her Kentucky Realtor license and was run­ner-up for Rookie of the Year in 2024.

She also has for the past 10 years led fit­ness class­es at the The Barre Fitness Boutique on Main Street.

“I’ve always had a pas­sion for lead­er­ship,” Toole remarked.

From high school stu­dent coun­cil to women’s lead­er­ship sum­mits, Toole said, she has worked to embody the mot­to of her alma mater: “Non min­is­trari sed min­is­trare,” or, “Not to be served, but to serve.”

During her time on the Winchester Board of Commissioners, Toole has served on the Winchester-Clark County Parks and Recreation Board, the city and coun­ty EMS Committee, and the city Public Works Committee.

She has also been active in Winchester Young Professionals and Legacy Greenscapes.

Toole said the most impor­tant job for a city com­mis­sion­er is to help put togeth­er and bal­ance the city budget.

“With this being our top pri­or­i­ty, we must learn how to con­tin­ue to pro­vide top-notch essen­tial ser­vices for our com­mu­ni­ty while we live in an increas­ing­ly expen­sive econ­o­my,” she said. “We must find new, sus­tain­able sources to gen­er­ate rev­enue while sup­port­ing our local res­i­dents and economy.”

Toole said her sec­ond pri­or­i­ty is “growth and pro­ject­ed sus­tain­abil­i­ty” for the Parks and Recreation Department.

“Parks pro­vide acces­si­ble spaces for phys­i­cal activ­i­ty, men­tal health relief, and social con­nec­tion,” she said. “A strong parks sys­tem attracts res­i­dents, busi­ness­es, and vis­i­tors. They cre­ate ener­gy, pride, and momen­tum in a community.”

Also, she said, strate­gic park plans and the enhance­ment of green spaces can help sup­port envi­ron­men­tal health and stormwa­ter management.

“It has been my priv­i­lege to serve the city of Winchester, and I will strive to keep the community’s trust and best inter­ests at heart,” she said.