I care deeply about our libraries and all the amazing services they provide. I think the stories of humanity are important and deserve to be preserved. It's an honor to have this opportunity.
Our libraries support such a wide array of services and events. This includes everything from the recently popular sensory room at Orchard Park to tax help or senior stretch. Each day I am continually impressed and learn more about what our libraries do for our community.
However, my opponents disagree, and they filed a petition in 2023 to dissolve the Meridian Library District entirely. Jeff Kohler and I are running to ensure that this important intuition stay a safe, available, and welcoming place for everyone.
I have over 11 years of accounting and finance experience. This prepares me well for the oversight functions that a board provides on the financial and operations side of the library.
I'm a 2nd generation Idahoan who grew up in a more agrarian community; Blackfoot Idaho. I moved to the Treasure Valley 11 years ago for work after college.
I've been an active part of my community and supporter of our public services. I've helped on ballot initiatives supporting education; which prepares me to promoting bond or levies where needed.
There are some under served populations near the eastern boundaries of the Meridian District that don't appear to have as easy access to a nearby library as other communities. I hope to supports efforts to provide that community more access.
I plan to guide and advise the Cherry Lane remodel to completion and subsequent reopen for the public over the next 2 years.
Finally I want to extend programs and continue outreach to teenagers. This is a historically harder demographic to reach but an important demographic to serve.
Jeff Kohler and I are running together in this election. Each voter in the district is given 2 votes on election day; May 20th. Each voter then selects 2 names from the pool of 4 candidates.
I endorse Jeff Kohler and it's been amazing to pair up with him throughout this election.
I'm against book banning on principal. It seems flawed that my family should tell anyone else family what books the should or shouldn't ready. Bringing in the government to do it for me feels especially Orwellian.
I'm against debt spending, and feel that monetarily we should have the funds approved by voters before we spend it.
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Six years ago, when I was first elected, my goal was to serve my community and give back to an institution that profoundly shaped my family’s lives. Libraries are magical spaces where individuals encounter fresh ideas, knowledge, and connections. A robust library system is as essential to the fabric of a thriving community as strong schools are to its future.
When I joined the board, I never imagined that within two years, the library would face opposition from a small yet vocal group intent on limiting parents' ability to choose what books were available for their families. Witnessing the politicization of an institution I hold dear was frustrating, but I remain strong in defending its core values and principles.
Over the past six years, I have actively shaped the library district's direction, playing a key role in every major decision. This past year, my fellow trustees selected me as chair, following four years of service as vice-chair.
Throughout my tenure, I have been a vocal advocate for libraries—testifying at legislative hearings, appearing on local television, and publishing op-eds in the newspaper to champion their value.
Outside my volunteer service, I am the Director of Asset Management for an Idaho-based energy company. My family has been blessed to call Meridian home since 2000.
If re-elected, I will continue championing the Meridian Library District, defending patrons' rights to choose their own books in the face of any opposition.
I will also help oversee the completion of the fourth and final project funded by the voter-approved 2019 initiative: the renovation of the flagship Cherry Lane branch. The previous projects—the unBound business and technology branch, the Orchard Park branch in north Meridian, and the Pinnacle branch in South Meridian—have already transformed our community's access to resources.
Prudent financial stewardship of precious taxpayer dollars will continue to guide all my decisions as a board member.
As a trustee I feel strongly about parents retaining access to the tools they need to help their minor children choose the right books. These tools include control over when their child receives a library card, transparent access to their child's circulation records, and optional email notifications of all materials checked out by their child.
Beyond this technology, library workers are dedicated to helping everyone find the materials that are best for each person and family. Just ask! They have access to additional tools and knowledge that will help you find exactly what you are looking for.
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