For Immediate Release

February 24, 2025

Ithaca Local, Labor Lawyer and Advocate for High-Quality Green Jobs, Announces Bid for County Legislature

Belle Sherman resident and lifelong Ithacan, Iris Packman, announced today that she is seeking the Democratic Party nomination for the County Legislature seat for the Third Legislative District. Susan Currie, the current legislator from District 3, encouraged Packman to run for the open seat.

“Working families need experienced advocates at the county legislature who understand the challenges of raising kids amidst rising costs and federal policies meant to destabilize progress and target marginalized populations,” said Packman. “I bring decades of advocacy experience fighting for equity, justice, and a good future for our children. I also have leadership experience working across the aisle to solve complex issues that transcend party lines. I’m honored to have the opportunity to represent South Hill and Belle Sherman in this open seat, and am excited for ways that our local government can be responsive to the needs of county residents in spite of attacks at the federal level.”

A faculty member at Cornell ILR’s Climate Jobs Institute, Packman is an experienced policy maker in both clean energy and labor. She has written state and local laws establishing workforce development, clean energy development, prevailing wage requirements, and labor standards. Packman was appointed to the City of Ithaca’s Sustainability and Climate Justice Commission in 2023, and in this role has advanced the city’s Green New Deal and Justice50 initiatives.

Said Packman, “Climate change and lack of affordable housing are two crises with both short-and long-term implications for residents of Tompkins County. I am committed to partnering with our government at the state and local levels to find solutions that make Tompkins County a livable, sustainable place for our residents.”

Packman attended Ithaca City schools from K-12 before studying labor law and union organizing at Cornell’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations. She worked as a strategic campaigner for an international labor union where she was a shop steward for her staff union, an experience that inspired her to attend law school. She graduated magna cum laude from the University of Maryland School of Law where she was a Leadership Scholar and student attorney in the immigration clinic, successfully winning relief for her clients seeking asylum and facing deportation. Packman is admitted to practice law in three jurisdictions, and served as in-house counsel to national labor organizations advocating for low-wage workers in a range of industries before joining the faculty at Cornell, where she serves on the Faculty Senate. 

Now a parent of children in the Ithaca City School District, Packman is committed to ensuring affordable childcare solutions and quality, inclusive education for all. As vice president of the board of directors for the Ithaca Children’s Garden, and member of the Ithaca Elementary Outdoor Gear Project, Packman has dedicated her service toward helping children access their human right to nature. An avid runner, she enjoys exploring our trails and parks with her husband, Alex, two children, and Labrador retriever.

###