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As Chief Operating Officer of Black Fox Global, a global fundraising firm, I lead a team of specialists in our work with non profits, and oversee operations and business development. Before joining Black Fox Global, I spent over 12 years with Orkeeswa, a community-based school in rural East Africa where I led fundraising strategy, financial management, and organizational development. My career has centered on guiding organizations through change, fundraising for impact, and building systems that sustain long-term success. In tandem with my professional experience, I bring a strong commitment and dedication to our local communities, and serve in a variety of volunteer and leadership roles in eastern Laramie County.
This is a real challenge without a simple answer. With the state's funding model changing, the district has less flexibility than before, which makes it even more important to make these decisions deliberately and transparently. My approach is to understand the whole budget picture before making tradeoffs, protect what most directly affects students and classrooms, and be honest with our community about the choices in front of us. Competitive pay matters – we can't keep great teachers without it – but so do the operational systems and people that keep schools running day to day. I'd rely on my operations background to find the most responsible balance, and I'd advocate hard at the state level so our district isn't overlooked.
My focus is on the process itself – it should be transparent, follow the district's established steps, and give teachers, families, and the community real opportunity for input before decisions are made. I support clear timelines, advance notice, and plain-language information about what's being considered and why, so no one is caught off guard and everyone has a chance to weigh in. I oppose rushing decisions or short-circuiting the process, regardless of the specific resource involved. These decisions should be guided by the expertise of our educators and made through an open, established process. Getting the process right is how we keep these decisions focused on students.
The honest reality is that these challenges walk through our school doors whether we plan for them or not, and a hungry or struggling child can't learn effectively. So the district can't ignore them, but it also can't solve them alone. I see the district's role as making sure students' basic needs are met enough that they can learn, and connecting families with the right support, in partnership with parents and community organizations rather than trying to replace them. What I want most is for our teachers and staff to be supported and not stretched impossibly thin, and for these decisions to be made thoughtfully, with the community, based on what our kids need and what our resources can realistically provide.
In our small, rural communities, a school is the heart of the town, so these decisions carry weight far beyond a budget line and shouldn't be a purely financial calculation. My priorities would be the impact on students, as well as on the families and communities that depend on these schools, weighed honestly against our fiscal realities. I also believe that when we put our minds together, we can often find creative solutions. I won't claim to know them in advance, but looking at a challenge like this from every angle is exactly the work I'd take on as a trustee. A decision like this should never be made to a community; it should be made with one. If this ever comes up in our school district, community trust matters as much as the numbers.
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I am a parent, business owner and employer who has called Laramie County home for 16 years. Two of my sons graduated from Pine Bluffs, and my daughter will graduate in 2028. As CFO/CPO of our family farming and grain elevator operation, I manage finances, employees and the long-term decisions that come with running a business. I also own a photography business and help operate a company restoring homes in our community. These experiences have taught me to listen, ask questions, manage resources responsibly and work with people who see things differently. I won’t pretend to have every answer, but I will do the work, ask hard questions and be accountable to the people I represent.
Teachers and staff are the foundation of our schools, and competitive compensation is essential to recruiting and retaining great educators. At the same time, a district cannot neglect transportation, facilities, classroom resources or the other services students rely on every day. I don’t see those responsibilities as competing goals. The board must understand what new state funding actually provides, plan beyond a single budget year and prioritize dollars where they have the greatest impact on students. I would advocate for the resources LCSD2 genuinely needs while expecting every taxpayer dollar to be managed carefully, transparently and with a clear purpose.
I believe curriculum decisions should begin with educational standards, evidence and the expertise of the educators who actually teach the material. LCSD2 already gives teachers an important role in curriculum development and resource selection, and I would want to preserve that. I also believe parents should have reasonable transparency into what their children are learning and put trust in the educators teaching the material. As a trustee, I would ask whether proposed curriculum is academically rigorous, age-appropriate, aligned with Wyoming standards and effective for students. Curriculum decisions should be educational decisions, made through an open, thoughtful process with the educators teaching it, rather than driven by politics.
A school’s primary responsibility is education, but students cannot learn effectively when they are hungry, unsafe, struggling emotionally or facing serious challenges at home. Schools should recognize barriers to learning, provide appropriate support within their expertise and connect students and families with community resources when needs extend beyond the school’s role. We should not expect educators to solve every societal problem, nor should schools attempt to replace parents, healthcare providers or community organizations. But when a child’s circumstances interfere with the ability to learn, I believe we have a responsibility to respond with compassion, appropriate resources and strong community partnerships.
School closure or consolidation should never be based on financial savings alone. In a rural district, a school is often at the heart of its community, and closing one can affect students, families, transportation, local identity and the long-term viability of the community itself. At the same time, trustees have a responsibility to use taxpayer dollars wisely and ensure students receive a strong education. I would consider enrollment trends, educational opportunities, staffing, facilities, transportation time, long-term costs and the impact on families and communities. Any decision this significant should be transparent, based on long-term data and made only after genuinely listening to the people most affected.
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