Since moving to La Crosse in 2013, I have come to care deeply about our community and the people in it. I want to do more for my adopted home, and I believe public service at the local level is the best way I can do that. As a woman with years of professional experience working collaboratively with and for various groups and causes, I believe I’ve honed my skills in such a way that well suits service on La Crosse’s County Board.

For both the residents and businesses in the downtown district, I’d like to enhance the community engagement resources that currently exist, to better involve the entire community in effectively allocating the resources that are needed to meet the needs of our communities and enhance the quality of life for all residents.

Whenever I speak with constituents, they always mention housing and transparency as the two issues that concern them the most. Having lived in the downtown area for 10 years, I have to agree with them: La Crosse needs more varied housing and an informed constituency coupled with easy communication with their representatives is key to coming up with solutions to this challenging issue.

My perspective as a life-long renter, and as someone who has lived in high-density cities, will provide much-needed insight on the issue of housing of all types, which invariably connects with our current difficulties regarding our homeless neighbors, not just their housing problems but helping to improve their access to the mental health system. Also, because of my 25-years of experience working in and with non-profits, as well as my small business, I’m very adept at working with tight budgets and deadlines as well as creatively engaging with the people on a range of topics. These are things that will help me to be an extremely effective member of the County Board.

Simply put, I would like to continue my service to our community as part of the La Crosse County Board. I want to keep working on the issues that matter to you. I served as an elected county board member from April 2020 to August of 2023, and it allowed me to better know the constituents of La Crosse and the challenges that face us. This experience increased my investment, engagement, and interest. During my time on the board, I took important votes in favor of affordable housing initiatives, actions to address homelessness, renewable energy investments, and more.

Goals like lower housing costs for renters and families, PFAS mitigation, and equitable economic development don’t happen without effort, energy, and focus. And–despite the good work we have accomplished in recent years at the county level–there is still a lot to do in all of these areas. I want to center my service in 2024 around helping to deliver meaningful results and continuing my advocacy.

County government provides critical services to District 6 residents, but I would like to see an expansion of economic support efforts, housing/rental assistance, and more. As a young person and a renter, I see deep value in these things. Additionally, when I listen to District 6 residents and hear their concerns, they highlight the need for strong programs in these areas.

Some ongoing initiatives offered through the La Crosse County Economic Development Fund Board could also be beneficial to community members. As a former member of that board, I had great opportunities to learn about the grants and loans that can be provided to folks who are interested in starting small businesses. I hope to continue connecting folks to the resources provided by this important–yet little-talked-about–part of county government.

Homelessness and housing unaffordability which deeply impact our community must be addressed. I have a track record of working on the county board to take steps toward addressing the root causes of homelessness, and I will continue to do this in 2024 and beyond. I helped take action during my previous county board terms to vote in favor of an innovative $1.5 million program to help families who are at risk of homelessness secure housing. In 2024, local government has to do more. In my answer to question four, I will build on the tangible things we can do to make progress on homelessness and housing.

Another serious thing that La Crosse County grapples with is a handful of environmental concerns. PFAS contamination and climate change are major problems that our local government should take significant action on. While I served from 2020 to 2023, I was able to support environmental initiatives in both areas, and I look forward to continuing my pro-sustainability advocacy on the board.

I believe that there is a definite possibility of collaboration between our county and municipal governments in addressing homelessness. I look forward to fostering these connections. By pooling some local government resources and working together, we can mitigate resource constraints and take important steps to address homelessness and the overall issue of housing inaccessibility/unaffordability. I will work to incentivize genuinely-affordable development, explore local public housing options, and grow the capacity of the county to provide mental and economic support services.

To help fix environmental issues facing La Crosse County, I will continue my advocacy to fund research (and potentially remediation) that assists PFAS-contaminated areas of our community. I will also push for the continuation of installing solar panels on county-owned facilities. I supported all of these things–and more–during my previous terms on the board, and I will proudly continue to do so.