*Editor’s note: This is the first in a ten part series that will run through April 7, 2006 on dennews.com

Q: What’s the difference between being assertive and being aggressive?

A: Your gender.

“I’m an assertive person who happens to be female, ” said Lorelei Sims, Charleston City Council member and local blacksmith. “I think you have to be assertive to run for political office.”

Sims first became involved in city politics in the spring of 2000.

“I voiced concern about a local environmental issue,” said Sims. “I was dissatisfied by the response and actions taken by City of Charleston officials in regards to my complaint.”

This experience caused Sims to run for office in the 2001 municipal election. Sims’ election marked a historical moment for the council because it was the first time two women, Sims and Marge Knoop, had been simultaneously elected to serve on the Charleston City Council.

Sims describes her first term in office as an eye-opening experience. It took a while to learn how the city council functioned as an entity, Sims said.

“My ongoing goal has been to promote citizen involvement in the decision making process and to advocate for the residents of Charleston.”

Sims is currently serving her second four-year term on the council.

“The campaign season prior to the April 2005 election was somewhat volatile, with the University Village Housing project as the dominate point of the contention,” Sims said. “I feel that my position against the proposal was validated by the election results.”

Besides the controversial University Village Housing project, Sims has been an active voice on the council concerning the Unified Development Code, extending bar hours, creating employment opportunities in Charleston and creating a better relationship between Eastern students and the city.

“The most important lesson I have learned in the political arena is that it is important to consider all the aspects of an issue before making a decision and casting a vote,” Sims said. “I make every effort to be informed on issues and have learned the value of asking questions.”

As the only woman currently serving on the city council Sims represents the lone female voice during any debates or votes.

“As the only woman currently serving on the council, I am able to provide a different perspective than my male counterparts,” Sims said.

Charleston has made great strides in gender equity in the last couple of years, Sims added.

She noted City Clerk Deborah Muller, City Comptroller Tamara Morris and Human Resources Director Dustha Goodard as examples.

“Certainly, we have come a long way since 1913, the year Illinois women won the right to vote in municipal elections,” Sims said. “But as with all things, there is always room for improvement and growth.”

In addition to being an assertive member of the city council, Sims is a self-employed artist. Her business, Five Points Blacksmith Shop, has been open since 1993.

“Charleston is very fortunate to have a significant number of working artists located in the community,” Sims said. “We strive to be philanthropic, donating our art to numerous local charity events, and many of us open our studios and provide demonstrations to youth groups.”

Sims’ website,www.blacksmithchic.com showcases her commissioned artwork, the majority of which Sims describes as botanically themed, functional ironwork.

Sims’ work can be found in Eastern’s Booth Library, the Lincoln Log Cabin visitor’s center and Omaha Botanical Gardens in Nebraska. In June 2006 Sims will release “The Backyard Blacksmith-Traditional Techniques for the Modern Smith.”