Campaign Phone
6149467655
Occupation
Attorney
Education
JD - The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law; BFA - Otterbein University; Gahanna Lincoln High School
Qualifications for Office
As the proud current Councilmember representing Ward 4, it has been an honor to serve Gahanna. Dedicated to my community, I have built my career in public service, and I bring years of practical experience at the local, county, state, and federal levels. As an attorney, I bring a critical eye to reviewing legislation, and I am a fierce advocate for our constituents.
As a landlocked community, Gahanna must be strategic in planning for the future. We need to focus on responsible, intentional, and sustainable development. In addition, much of the city’s infrastructure needs were deferred for years. With Issue 12’s passage, the city has a duty to maintain services and advance critical projects while safeguarding taxpayer funds. I will continue to advocate for the expansion of our street and sidewalk programs, complete the construction of the city’s new municipal complex (including police station, city hall, and senior center) and fight for the preservation of safe and accessible greenspace for all of our families. In doing so, Gahanna will continue to be a great community to live, work, and play.
City leadership must maintain services, improve infrastructure, and pursue responsible and sustainable growth, while remaining fiscally prudent. We must work with community partners to attract and retain businesses, generating revenue to support services. With the creation of the city’s new strategic plan, Gahanna is able to plan for the future and meet the needs of residents. The city must also maintain some of its cash reserves to support critical projects as they arise. Additionally, Creekside has not met community expectations. Guided by resident feedback, we must revitalize it with new amenities and creek activation to attract visitors, strengthen local businesses, and we can leverage economic development incentives for financing.
While Gahanna will not offer the magical solution to Central Ohio’s population growth and housing shortage, our community must do our part. Crucially, we must address the “missing middle,” options for owner-occupied residences that are not large single-family homes. It is important that we have a variety of housing opportunities to support our young families and our seniors wishing to age in place. We do this by ensuring that all residents continue to have access to the services and amenities that drew them to Gahanna in the first place. As a largely landlocked community, this discussion becomes more pressing as we need to be intentional and plan for the needs of the 21st century, not only for new development but for re-development as well.
The best way to connect with residents is to meet residents where they are. Throughout my term in office, I have been a frequent presence and participant at community events. In addition, I have hosted regular constituent hours throughout Ward 4 for residents to engage. I have also accepted invitations to meet with constituents in their homes. I work for our residents, and I am honored to make myself available. Additionally, I remain active on social media to promote information and receive comments. On Council, I pushed for the creation of e-comment, allowing residents to submit video public comments even though they may not be able to attend a formal meeting, ensuring that their voices are heard and represented in our decisions.
It’s important to me that every resident feels at home here in Gahanna. I am proud to represent such a diverse and unique community with individuals and families from all walks of life. On Council, disagreements among my colleagues are common but respectful. Whether it’s with our constituents or among our colleagues, the key to building bridges and fostering dialogue is to be a good listener. As an attorney by day, I know firsthand the power in ensuring that all sides are heard. It’s also important that we meet with the various segments and community organizations of the city. By staying apprised of feedback and community sentiment, one can foster trust which leads to more productive dialogue and dispute resolution when the time comes.
Campaign Phone
614-626-7008
Occupation
Financial Advisor
Education
B.A. of Psychology, Capital University
Qualifications for Office
Financial Advisor, years of experience in finance and city operations, community leadership with stakeholders and nonprofits( Gahanna Chamber, Gahanna-Jefferson Education Foundation, Gahanna YMCA and Civil Service Commission)
Gahanna’s infrastructure is still in a rebuilding phase as we tackle larger capital projects. Our local government has three primary functions: Public Safety, Public Service, and Parks and Recreation. We need to remain focused on ensuring that we have the resources in place to address and allocate for those services, as they impact every Gahanna resident and business.
Priorities for the day-to-day operations of our City government are set by our administration. The primary role of Gahanna’s City Council is to fund the operating and capital improvement budget each year and work collaboratively and efficiently with our city administration. My personal priority is to ensure our tax dollars are being spent wisely and that our budget aligns with our City's strategic goals. Making sure our essential city services and amenities are funded and expanded as appropriate will be a priority for me.
When appropriate, feasible, and financially responsible, we should consider adding needed housing stock to our community. Because Gahanna is “land-locked,” and there are few open spaces in most areas of the city, we cannot solve this issue for the region. However, being aware of the regional needs should influence our decision-making processes for potential new housing. Other factors, such as impact on traffic patterns, public safety and the City’s infrastructure would also weigh heavily in considering new housing projects in Gahanna.
Consistent contact with residents and stakeholders is central to engagement. I have served Gahanna for years in a variety of roles, including non-profit work, supporting our public schools and also worked for the City as the head of communications. Those key relationships certainly help in understanding the needs of our community and provide insight into current public sentiment. I’m an open listener and understand how to use social media to engage and reach out. Importantly, I’m engaged in a variety of volunteer roles and activities that bring me opportunities for deep and wide-ranging conversations with with city residents, both in my ward and beyond.
Building consensus begins with focusing on our commonalities. Locally, politics has become vitriolic & is deteriorating our trust in one another. My decision to run independent of party affiliation was intentional and authentic. On the local level, strong political affiliation can be counterproductive. Residents and businesses are looking to us to do the simple things well. Focusing on the real work of government, & moving forward with a shared strategy that stakeholders have contributed to is key to conflict resolution. Gahanna needs to normalize holding varying & opposing views on larger issues, but being able to come together to ensure that our infrastructure is well-maintained & developed, & that our local taxes are being spent wisely.
