Judi Bishop was born and raised in Des Moines, Iowa, but calls Fort Worth, Texas, her hometown. Recently hired as interim CEO of YWCA Baton Rouge, Bishop has more than 25 years of experience with the YWCA in addition to co-owning a design and public relations company for nearly 10 years. From 1989 to 2009, she was the executive director of YWCA Fort Worth & Tarrant County before retiring—temporarily. Before her arrival in Baton Rouge, Bishop was the interim executive director of the YWCA Northwest Louisiana. In her free time, Bishop enjoys relaxing with her family and the occasional trip to the thrift store to hunt for a good deal. Check out the full Q&A with Bishop here. Here’s a sample:
You were the executive director of the YWCA for Fort Worth & Tarrant County in Texas for 20 years. How has that experience helped you in your current role? How is Baton Rouge unique in comparison?
“Although Baton Rouge is unique in its history and culture, the pressing issues are the same from city to city. Poverty, challenges in the public school system, school dropout rate, teen pregnancy, low literacy, institutional racism and lack of wage parity are issues in most cities.”
