Shalisa Hayes in the running for East Side council seat

Shalisa Hayes, a health-care professional and driving force behind the planned East Side Community Center, is running for Tacoma City Council in the city’s East Side district.

Hayes announced Friday she will seek election to Position 4. She’ll face off against Tacoma school board member Catherine Ushka and developer Kevin Grossman.

Hayes’ 17-year-old son, Billy Ray Shirley III, was shot and killed in 2011 at an after-hours party in Nalley Valley, where he’d gone to give someone a ride home.

Hayes now leads a nonprofit named for her slain son that is focused on engaging local youth in positive activities and reducing violence.

Hayes, who was a finalist to fill the at-large council position vacated by Victoria Woodards late last year, said her son’s death propelled her into action advocating for the East Side and for a safe space for youth to spend time.

“I believe our City Council must do more to creatively and thoughtfully invest in our residents,” Hayes said in a statement announcing her run. “We must provide sustainable solutions to issues around housing and homelessness, public safety, and our economic and social safety net that protects our city’s most vulnerable.”

Friday afternoon was the filing deadline for candidates planning to run for elected office this year.

This story was originally published May 19, 2017 at 6:01 PM with the headline "Shalisa Hayes in the running for East Side council seat."