Education
PhD in Global Leadership, ABD-in progress, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College; Master of Arts in Applied Communication, Indiana University; Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice & Criminology with Political Science
Occupation
Lecturer of Communication
My approach is a “Community of Care” that brings people together to solve problems collaboratively and keep Monroe County moving forward. In over 20+ years of time serving at the federal, state, and now on county council since 2019, it’s the only thing I’ve seen work. We should focus first on resiliency around affordability and quality of life. That means addressing housing needs, childcare woes that prevent families from work and peace of mind, and the damning cost of living preventing families and workforce from building their futures here. We must also strengthen emergency response through enhanced ambulance service border-to-border, protect Lake Monroe and our environment, and ensure services are clear and accessible to all.
Yes, always. Commissioners and the County Council can work together more effectively by focusing on shared goals rather than governing by “my way or the highway” approaches. My overall philosophy is that elected officials can work together, get good results for their constituents, and move the community forward around common needs. On the Monroe County Council, I have consistently worked with colleagues across perspectives to find solutions. Progress comes when leaders act as convenors with goals and communicate early. The public struggles to stomach bickering, me included. While negotiating the Capital Improvement Board language with the city, I kept the kind of dialogue necessary to help create construction on the Convention Center today.
Before SEA 1 was adopted in 2025, Monroe County had a plan for a new jail and justice complex. That state legislation forced us to reset with far lower budget expectations and a change of plans to focus primarily on a constitutional care jail. The next step is site selection which is already underway. We also need a phased plan that prioritizes replacing the jail while recognizing we will need to operate without a fully co-located system with the courts, prosecutor, and public defender. What cannot change, is our obligation to provide constitutional care and safe conditions for those in custody and for staff. We must move forward with a realistic, fiscally responsible plan that meets legal standards and public safety.
Monroe County should plan for disasters through preparation, coordination, and resilience. That means strengthening our emergency management capacity, improving communication systems with a public-facing coordinator, and working closely with townships, cities, schools, and first responders instead of leaving that planning to them. We should also invest in infrastructure that reduces risk from flooding and severe storms and ensure recovery resources reach affected residents. As extreme weather becomes common, county government must focus on readiness, clear leadership, and partnerships that protect lives, property, and the long-term resilience of our community. I have been on the ground around weather events and recovery nearly 20 years.
Those doing business or living in Monroe County should always feel like they have a partner, not an adversary. We have a population decline, seen in census and school-age population, and need to strengthen our workforce and future, now. We should streamline county processes, improve response times in meaningful ways, and encourage good housing development so more people can afford to live and work here. At the same time, we need to support strategic economic development, including renewed investment in the life sciences sector and the west side corridor. I value the work of all realtors, developers, business leaders, and not-for-profit leaders who work diligently to get people in homes. I appreciate families living here and calling it home.
Education
Master of Public Affairs, Local Government Administration, Indiana University. Bachelor of Arts, Political Science, Baldwin Wallace University
Occupation
Monroe County Councilmember at-Large; Government Consultant; Teaching Faculty, IU O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs
Times are tough for many families in Monroe County. Too many are working hard and still scraping by. Housing choices and steady careers feel out of reach while Washington and Indianapolis pass down unfunded mandates and challenge local control. These are not normal years. It's time for a change in direction. Monroe County deserves more. That means expanding housing choices, attracting career employers, standing up for local control and justice, and setting a professional standard every day. County government should be rather boring, predictable, customer-focused and results driven. I will put twenty years of federal, state and local management experience toward a new direction for Monroe County.
Most county employees collaborate well and work hard for the public every day. Where the county sometimes struggles is at the leadership level, when disagreement becomes personal, when decisions move forward without enough public visibility, or when delays lead to expensive and rushed choices. Residents consistently tell me they want government to focus less on personalities and more on professional delivery and results. Council’s job is to bring accountability. The Commission’s job is to work out loud and transparently. As a Councilmember at Large, I ask hard questions early to prevent bigger problems later. As your Commissioner, I will stand for steady, transparent government. Say what we will do. Then do what we said.
Monroe County cannot max out its credit card for twenty years to build a megajail and call that reform. Real Democratic reform is prevention, recovery, diversion, and detention when necessary. When I came into office, I listened to the public and the organizations doing this work every day. They asked for a system, not a palace. Yet the design process kept expanding without firm cost limits, so I pushed hard for a new direction. I support a right-sized, phased approach that delivers constitutional care, keeps services in Bloomington, aligns courts and mental health support, and sets clear cost ceilings. Commissioners must speak up for the public and support programs that judges and prosecutors can use for diversion and restorative justice.
Coach Wooden said it: “If we fail to prepare, we prepare to fail.” When disaster hits, no resident should wonder where to go or what to do. Preparation makes the difference between inconvenience and disaster. Whether you live in a cul-de-sac or a holler, you should know where to call and how to get help. In my first 100 days I will push to staff a full-time public information office, establish a 411 hotline, formalize countywide communications, and work toward joint emergency exercises by pursuing state and federal grants. I've long been a strong advocate for a new approach. I founded IU’s Homeland Security minor and have logged more than 1200 hours in incident management. That's how a county shows care, by being competent in crisis.
The county has a role to play in how we develop regionally and sustainably, city & country. From an environmental view, we cannot call ourselves responsible while 15,000 could-be residents commute here daily, spewing emissions and taking their wages elsewhere. If we care about climate, we must care about where people live. Much of our zoning allows only the largest and most expensive housing forms. That bad policy ups prices and promotes sprawl. This is a time for ideas. We need a new direction, but I do not support paving over paradise. As a Sierra Club state board member, I testified to protect the Hoosier National Forest. We simply answer the pleas of many, revise the 2012 Comprehensive Plan, simplify complex zoning rules and innovate.
