Political Leaders 2006 Profile: Tarina Keene

Name:   Tarina Keene
Age: 34
Born: Elkton, Maryland (father in military). I spent my early years spent in eastern Kentucky and Southwestern Virginia. We moved to Hampton when I was 13.
Current Digs: Norfolk, Va.
Occupation: Director of Development, Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Virginia
Favorite part about the job: I get to meet a lot of people that I normally would not have the opportunity to meet. There are some really wonderful and passionate people out there who are extremely inspiring and incredibly giving.
First job ever?  Embarrassingly, Chick-fil-a. I started at age 15. Six months later I was a vegetarian. I have never looked back!
Favorite book?  Tough one! I have three: Johnny Got His Gun (war is senseless), Love in the Time of Cholera (patience is a virtue), and The Unbearable Lightness of Being (perception is everything, yet nothing).
Favorite movie?  Classics: Gone with the Wind and Casablanca. Current: Ferris Bueller’s Day, The Shawshank Redemption, and Syriana
Must See TV?  The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, The Colbert Report, Law & Order (all of them) & 24 (can’t wait till the new season!)
Comfort food?  Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate! And my mom’s soup, beans, and cornbread. (You can take the girl out of the country, but you can’t take the country out of the girl.)
What's in your car CD player right now? Just in time for CD’s to be obsolete, my new car has a 7 disk player! 1) The Dixie Chicks' Wide Open Spaces (a little bit of country, and little bit of rock-n-roll!) 2) Prince’s Greatest Hits (Great driving music!) 3) Jill Scott, Who is Jill Scott? 4) Natalie Merchant, Tigerlily  5) U2, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb 6) Wilco, Summerteeth 7) Coldplay, X&Y
Next journey? A trip to Wintergreen for a girls’ weekend with my college roomies and a do the spa thing!
One thing people might be surprised to learn about you?  In 1999 I quit my career in journalism and hiked the Appalachian Trail end to end (2200 miles).
Last gift you received?  A bottle of Dom Perignon Vintage Champagne for graduation from my friends and a porch swing from my dad for my birthday.
Best advice you ever got?  "Stand for something, or you’ll fall for anything." (My republican dad) "Never judge a book by its cover. The good stuff is always on the inside." (My democratic mom)
Whom do you admire and why? I admire people who work to make positive change in the lives of others and who speak up during difficult situations even if it is to their own detriment.  
If you could have dinner with any one currently living, whom would it be and why? Bill Clinton. I became quite a fan of Mr. Clinton’s while in college. I share his idealism, his dream for global peace and his goal to bring aid and healthcare to third world nations not to mention our own country. I find him enormously inspiring, intelligent and one of the world’s great statesmen. No one quite compares to him.           
Ambition, political or otherwise? I see myself as an advocate, whether that be fundraising or lobbying for a small nonprofit or working on legislation for a government entity or official. I hope to see a day when no one is hungry, or living on the street. I hope to see universal healthcare, and jobs that are plentiful and pay a living wage. I hope laws are drafted to ensure justice and equality, not based on one group’s idea of morality. I hope that there is enough money in the government’s coffers for education, Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. Also, I hope to see our budget balanced with a reserve to cover market shortfalls.  I hope to do my small part to make this a reality and not just a dream.
Describe a perfect day. 82 degrees, no humidity, wind slightly blowing, sitting on the beach with my feet buried in the sand and reading a good book or magazine while catching up with friends or family or whoever shows up that day. Cell phone is off and there’s no WIFI—therefore I am disconnected… for the day. Oh… there’s a bottle of Chardonnay in the cooler!