Education
Graduated from Washington Township High School in Porter County. Bachelor's degree in general studies from Purdue North Central, 2003. Master's degree in public administration and nonprofit management from Walden University.
Leadership Experience
Two-term Porter County Clerk. Started the VoteMobile, a mobile polling site that keeps voting access in place when a location drops out. Modernized the Clerk's office with an app for payments and records requests and an updated online presence. Named 2023 Clerk of the Year by the Association of Indiana Counties and received the National Clearinghouse Award from the federal Election Assistance Commission. Also served six years on the Portage Township School Board
Campaign Endorsements
LiUNA Local 81, United Steelworkers District 7 (and various USW locals), AFT, Indiana AFL-CIO, UAW Region 2B CAP Council, AFGE,
My first priority is the State Board of Finance. Right now those meetings last about three minutes, with no discussion and a unanimous vote every time, even when the board is approving transfers of hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars. I will ask questions in public, on the record, so Hoosiers watching those meetings know where their tax dollars are going and why. Second, I want to rebuild the Indiana Transparency Portal in plain language so a taxpayer who isn't a budget expert can actually find and understand how the state is spending their money. Third, I want to give workers and unions a direct channel to report suspected prevailing wage violations on state funded construction projects and see in plain language state contracts.
I've run a public finance and records office for eight years as Porter County Clerk, managing budgets, staff, and legally mandated deadlines under scrutiny. I hold a master's degree in public administration and nonprofit management from Walden University. When I took office, our election board had no regular meeting schedule and no timeline for hearing complaints. I fixed that, and we now meet on a set schedule every month with public comment built in. I also built the VoteMobile, a mobile polling program that keeps communities from losing access to voting as well as created an app that lets residents pay court fees and file records requests online. Before that, I served six years on the Portage Township School Board.
I've already shown how I do this. As Clerk, I didn't just complain about a broken election board process, I got elected and fixed it, putting a real schedule and real public comment in place. I'll bring that same approach to the Board of Finance: asking real questions about transfers and expenditures instead of rubber stamping them, and making sure the public can see that scrutiny happening, not just take it on faith. Integrity means the process has to be visible. If I'm required by law to write a check, whether it's for a charter school or a contractor, I'm not required to do it quietly, and I won't.
The portal exists, but it's not built for regular people. It needs to be remarketed and rewritten in plain language so an everyday taxpayer, not just a budget analyst, can navigate it and understand where their money is going. That also means connecting the dots for people between board actions and portal data, so when the Board of Finance approves a transfer, a citizen can go look it up and get a real explanation, not just a line item.
The Comptroller has to write the checks the state has already committed to once the legislature and governor agree on a budget. That's the law, and I respect that. What the office does have is a voice, especially through the seat on the State Board of Finance, and that's where the real opportunity for oversight sits. The office can't unilaterally block spending it's legally obligated to fund, but it absolutely can ask questions, demand explanations for transfers and budget requests, and make that information public instead of letting it pass through in silence.I intend to use my voice to demand transparency and accountability; Hoosiers deserve to know where their tax dollars are being spent.
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Campaign Phone
2196291037
Education
MBA - Indiana University
Leadership Experience
Management Consulting
Ensure that the State Comptroller's office has no Party affiliation with the legislature.
Complete overhaul of the State's Transparency Portal, which provides no transparency.
Use press releases more to keep the legislature and citizens informed about State spending.
Seven years in a corporate managerial role, followed by 29 years as a management consultant. I have an MBA from Indiana University.
I have no reason to believe the current processes lack integrity. Of course, we would follow up on any internal control deficiencies the State Board of Accounts reports.
It needs a complete overhaul. The portal tells me that 60% of spending in my county is allocated to a single account called "Settlements", with no further data about where that money is going. Account usage isn't consistent across counties.
The office has no policy-making authority and the responsibilities are assigned by statute. The office could do more to improve transparency and public reporting.
