I am a lifelong learner who will listen, try to find a win-win, but refuse to back down when necessary.
Carissa’s Bio:
Carissa Johnson moved from New York to North Carolina in 1996 and has spent all but 4 years of the last 3 decades in Cary. Her daughter, Isabella, was born at WakeMed Cary and attended Cary Elementary and Cary High. She has lived in her current home in District B of downtown Cary for 18 years.
Carissa studied Gerontology at Nazareth University and Zoology at NC State University. She holds a full-time position as a Senior Product Marketing Manager in the cybersecurity software industry. She has been actively involved in her local community, serving on the Town of Cary Information Services Advisory Board from 2017 to 2021, completing Cary 101 in 2019, and serving as Vice Chair of the Cary 150 Commission from 2018 to 2021. Carissa also completed basic training and several FEMA CERT courses as a member of the Cary NC chapter of the Community Emergency Response Team. Currently, Carissa serves as the Council liaison to the Senior Advisory Board and the Public Art Advisory Board for the Town of Cary.
At the county level, Carissa also volunteers to help our most vulnerable children as a sworn advocate with the Wake County District 10 court, serving as a Guardian ad Litem appointed to represent children brought into foster care due to abuse and neglect, acting as the “third table” in the courtroom.
At the state level, Carissa is passionate about creating an age-friendly North Carolina. She chaired the All Ages, All Stages workgroup that developed the Housing plan recommendations for the North Carolina Multi-Sector Plan for Aging from 2023 to 2024, and currently co-chairs the implementation workgroup working to implement those recommendations statewide. She is also a member of the NC Coalition on Aging, the League of Women Voters of Wake County, and a lifetime member of the North Carolina chapter of the Sierra Club.
Why am I running again?
I feel compelled to serve others. As an empty nester who has a lot of experience in different professional and volunteer capacities, I believe I have the knowledge, the drive, and the willingness to continuously learn new things that are required to be an asset to my community. I have a record of advocacy and practical approaches to ensure as many citizens as possible get the same advantages I have had. (and I wrote a blog about why I ran in the first place, let me tell you about my parents, and you will see why – read the blog)
I am laser-focused on practicality, working for doable and affordable local solutions to address our climate crisis, housing affordability challenges, and equal access in our community. I want to continue to work with private, public, and non-profit partners to significantly increase the capacity to build up the affordable housing stock in our town limits while ensuring new builds and rehabs are built with the best environmentally friendly and sustainable energy building practices available. I know Cary can be a leader in sustainability by reducing our carbon output through the prioritization of common-sense tree canopy preservation, clean energy and solar power, and green stormwater infrastructure.
I am proud to say that as a council member, I show up. I roll up my sleeves and get involved so I understand the 360 degree perspective on issues. I am digging in and working to problem-solve with a keen eye on economic forces to make the most of every tax dollar and avoid future tax hikes.
I consider myself a public servant, both in my role on Cary council and in my ongoing commitment to continuing my volunteer service to the community. These experiences working with people from all walks of life have helped shape my approach to the municipal policy of Cary. I love this town and am proud to have called it home for most of the last 29 years. Cary is genuinely remarkable, and if we are practical, we can do better for more people.
Please support me in my future work with a re-election campaign contribution today!
A note about campaign contributions from our development community
I am focused on grassroots support and a coalition of folks in Cary who share my values and goals for our community. As I work cooperatively with builders as a housing advocate, I want to be careful of any appearance of impropriety. I am thankful for their support and friendship, but cannot accept campaign contributions from those involved in our development community so we can keep working together with no question of bias! If you are one of our builders and want to help, please consider financial support for the joint housing initiative of The Carying Place, Greenwood Forest Baptist Church, DHIC, and the YMCA instead!
Endorsements & candidate questionnaires:
INDY 2025 Questionnaire
INDY Endorsement 2025
News and Observer 2022
TL;DR: How I spend my time
2025-2027 Co-Chair – Housing and Universal Design Implementation Workgroup, for the Multi-Sector Plan for Aging (NC MPA) All Ages, All Stages Initiative
Chair – Housing Workgroup that authored the Housing section of the 2024 NC Multi-Sector Plan for Aging (NC MPA)
Volunteer Guardian ad Litem, District 10 Judicial Branch
As Cary Town Council, at-large representative, liaison to the Senior Advisory Board and Public Art Advisory Board
Wake County Dems Precinct 04-11 Vice-Chair
NC Council on Aging member
Pertinent Experience
My day job
Senior Product Marketing Manager
I am a full-time marketer with over a decade of experience in IT, technology, and Healthcare – with a special focus on cybersecurity, data security, and IT service management.
Cary Town Council at-large representative, elected 2022
Volunteering
NC’s Multi-Sector Plan for Aging – All Ages, All Stages:
- 2023-2024 Writing the plan – Chair: Housing, Unhoused, and Universal Design Stakeholder Workgroup
- 2025 – 2027 Implementation Co-Chair: Housing, Unhoused, and Universal Design Implementation Workgroup
Guardian ad Litem, District 10 NC Judicial Branch (2020 – Present)
A Guardian ad Litem (GAL) is a sworn community member appointed by a district court judge to investigate and determine the needs of abused and neglected children and youth petitioned into the court system by the Department of Social Services.
Council Liaison to the Town of Cary Senior Advisory Board and Public Art Advisory Board.
NC/Wake County Community Emergency Response Team [FEMA, Basic training graduate and member] Cary Cert
Vice-Chair of Precinct 04-11 of the Democratic Party
Vice-Chair of Cary 150 Task Force in commemoration of Cary’s Sesquicentennial (2018-2021)
Town of Cary Information Services Advisory Board
(2018-2021)
Graduate, Cary 101 Cary School of Government
(2019)
Education
I grew up in western New York, and I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Nazareth University of Rochester, where I also earned a certificate in Gerontology with emphasis on end of life issues and hospice. Then I moved to beautiful NC and studied Zoology at North Carolina State University. A few years ago, I earned an ILM Level 3 Certificate Award in Leadership, Management, and Coaching from Edinburgh College, UK.
Learn more about my professional and volunteer experience at www.linkedin.com/in/carissaannjohnson/