Campaign Phone #
(715)305-0032
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Campaign Phone #
(715)436-0704
Campaign Phone
7154360704
Education
B.A. Lawrence University, Ma/PhD Boston University
Personal Pronouns
She/Her/Hers
My highest priority in office is to protect and promote the overall health and well-being – physical, psychological, emotional and civic—of the people of the district. This means fostering economic growth, expanding learning opportunities, increasing access to health resources, encouraging local leadership, and involving residents in the development of solutions for their own local challenges. I have worked on the County Board and as an outreach consultant for rural communities and am able to locate resources, help people organize self-governing groups and encourage innovative, custom solutions for local challenges. My greatest strength is my understanding that even within my district there is great variation in challenges, resources, abilities and desires. I show up throughout my district and I know that one size does not fit all and that my district deserves solutions that work for them, not solutions that were designed for someplace else.
Real estate investment corporations that buy up housing stock and then operate as absentee landlords prices many people out of homeownership and condemn many others to living in poorly maintained properties. At the same time, smaller landlords struggle to maintain older housing stock. Builders focus on multi-family developments or luxury residences in order for projects to be cost effective. And complicating matters is that rural housing is simply NOT the same as urban housing. So, large apartments are not suitable for small, rural communities, and luxury construction is not economically feasible in densely populated urban areas. I am a strong proponent of alternative in-fill approaches such as auxiliary housing units, tiny homes, micro-communities and co-housing initiatives.
A bi-partisan/non-partisan election commission tasked with redistricting that gives the most accurate reproduction of the state population is the best strategy for constructive and collaborative governance. When districts are drawn to reflect partisan leanings, the government enters into a self-reinforcing loop that, over time, creates an enormous gap between the government and the people. Gerrymandering encourages extremism and reduces responsivity, resulting in a government that represents no one but itself. The bi-partisan/non-partisan commission should monitor demographic shifts and population density changes and adjust for those regularly and routinely to avoid having to make drastic changes by waiting too long to make any changes.
Environmental sustainability begins with recognizing that the environment is not separate from us – we live in it and always have. The environment sustains us as much as it challenges us – and drastic or rapid change can be life-threatening for humans as well as others. Specific efforts to de-centralize power production, including waste-to-fuel conversion, on-site local & full process recycling, urban composting, relaxed regulation of micro-solar and micro-wind arrays, and promotion of recreation that supports personal and environmental health are a priority of mine. Additionally, developing urban permaculture and programs that assist and reward farmers for creative land solutions that give them more flexibility and control over their property are top goals of mine. And while regulation is no one's favorite action, monitoring and maintaining water quality in both urban and rural areas must prevail.
As with almost all of the biggest issues, how education is approached in urban areas differs from education is rural areas. I believe that rural areas that have shifted toward centralization over several decades could benefit from a paradigm shift that re-prioritizes de-centralization, inter-cohort experiences and cognitive scaffolding. In short, students benefit from small classes in diverse locations, even with mixed grades and team building that leverages the strengths of older students in the growth of younger students or students with disabilities. And education is one of the few areas where I talk money – despite never having children of my own, I am well aware that I and everyone in my community benefit from great public schools. No matter how cheap a person may be, I know that great schools are cheaper than strong prisons. And, if you skimp on one, you likely increase the need for the other. If we invest in nothing else, we should invest in schools.
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