Campaign Phone
608-792-1897
I have lived on French Island for over 50 years. I loved living here in 1974 when I first moved to the island and my love for this community and its people has grown each and every year since. Indeed it is the people that make this community great and it would be a tremendous honor to be able to serve them as President of French Island.
I have always encouraged residents to come to the monthly board meetings and learn about their government and how it affects them. There is a time for public input at every meeting which is a great opportunity to ask questions and learn more about how board decisions are made. I also try to talk to French Island residents on a daily basis and always welcome feedback and encourage involvement in Village activities.
As the current Interim Village President I visit with Village department heads as often as possible, listen to them, and encourage them as they fulfill their appointed duties. French Island has a wonderful group of employees and I would monitor their work by communicating with them and also by listening to our Village residents talk about services provided to them by the staff. French Island has hired professionals to do the job and I would support them in their efforts to do so as long as the work is getting done. I own two businesses in the private sector and I hire good people and I then let them do their work but hold them accountable for the results. Micromanaging can be a big distraction and counterproductive for employees.
Police, Fire, and Employee Commission. Utility, Streets and Roads, Human Resource, Building and Grounds, and IT are committees that come to mind. We have many professionals living in our community such as law enforcement, accountants, real estate experts, IT people, business leaders, teachers, healthcare professionals, and many more people with special talents. The Board should enlist these people and their talents to contribute in an effort to enhance Village governance.
Regarding Statute 61.24, the Village President, like all Board members, is a facilitator. The President does preside at all meetings, signs official documents, and shares his/her vision for the new village (as all Board members do). But, the President must keep in mind at all times that he/she has ONE vote as all Board members do. Influence and discussion on all issues is equally shared by all Board members including the President.
I’m running again because our successful incorporation is only the first step. After decades of effort, I remain committed to building a transparent and accountable village government that truly serves our taxpayers. Residents have told me repeatedly: we need a reliable water system and tight control over costs. I will ensure strong oversight and transparency to deliver both, while providing steady leadership through this important early period of village government.
I will actively recruit residents through targeted commissions that let people contribute their skills and experience directly to village decisions. We’ll combine this with modern tools—clear social media updates, a simple contact form on the village website, and old-fashioned personal outreach. If you have ideas or concerns, call, email, or reach out to me or any board member. Government works best when everyday residents are involved.
The shift from town to village means moving from day-to-day management to high-level policy and oversight. I will ensure accountability by creating clear commissions with well-defined responsibilities. In my recent experience on the board, unclear roles led to stalemates and confusion for staff. By assigning commissions specific oversight areas and mixing board members with resident experts, we will provide consistent direction — empowering professional staff to deliver excellent results while staying fully aligned with the board’s vision and taxpayer priorities.
Yes—resident skills and experience are one of our village’s greatest assets. I will start by reviewing all existing committees, then carry forward, combine, or strengthen them as commissions. Priority areas include Police and Fire, Utilities, Streets, and a new Parks & Recreation commission. These commissions will follow our successful past model but with clearer roles: a mix of board members and appointed residents serving in their areas of expertise. This structure delivers strong oversight, brings valuable local knowledge to policy decisions, and provides continuity even when the board changes. Residents interested in serving can be appointed based on their skills and interests.
I believe the boundary is straightforward and must be respected. The President should faithfully execute those statutory duties while facilitating open, fair deliberation by the full board — without steering outcomes through personal opinion, undue influence, or control. The Board holds legislative and policy authority, not the President. My approach will be to encourage full input from every trustee, remain neutral in facilitating discussion, and ensure the entire board — not any single individual — makes the final policy decisions. This keeps power where it belongs: with the board acting on behalf of the taxpayers.
