What sets me apart is the combination of experience, perspective and genuine connection to Chaska that I bring to the council. I understand how our city works, but I also bring a perspective that isn’t always represented at the table. As a single person living on one household income and without children, I experience property taxes, housing costs, city services and community decisions through a different lens. I believe that perspective matters. I also bring experience leading teams in the private sector, running a small business and serving as Chair of Southwest Transit. Most importantly, I know and love Chaska. I’ll keep listening, asking hard questions and bringing a thoughtful, independent voice to decisions that affect Chaska.
1. Responsible growth and fiscal stewardship; balancing the needs of a growing community with the impact on taxpayers.
2. Protecting what makes Chaska special; investing in our neighborhoods, downtown, and parks while maintaining the character that makes Chaska feel like home.
3. People and engagement; continuing to improve transparency and communication.
My goal is thoughtful progress without losing the sense of community that makes Chaska unique.
I want every Chaska resident to feel that their voice matters. I’ll continue listening to the voices I hear every day, while also intentionally seeking out perspectives that may be quieter or less represented. Sometimes the people most affected by a decision aren’t the ones speaking at a council meeting or sending an email. I want to create space for those voices, listen with curiosity and respect, and make sure our decisions reflect the full community—not just the loudest voices.
I believe transparency means making city government easier for residents to understand and participate in. I’ve advocated for tools like “Chaska Today” and clearer proposed development signs so residents have information before decisions are made. I’ll continue sharing information in plain language, & pushing for meaningful opportunities for residents to engage. Accountability also means being willing to explain not only what decision was made, but why & how it aligns with the vision for Chaska.
I'm an engineer and a small-business owner who has lived in Chaska 28 years, in an 1859 Chaska-brick house I spent nine years on the Historic Preservation Commission learning to care for.
That's the combination I'd bring. Engineers read the study before deciding. Business owners know what a slow permit costs. Nine years on a commission taught me the difference between advocating and directing — Council sets policy, staff runs operations.
The decisions ahead are permanent: a data center proposal, the back half of a facilities plan costing a median home about $366 a year, a downtown reconstruction. They deserve someone who reads the packet, asks the hard question before the vote, and can explain the answer to a neighbor in plain English.
Thoughtful Leadership — transparent, accessible government that decides on facts and real-world data, with planning, accountability, and budgeting that protects taxpayers. I'm an engineer; I read the study before I vote.
Strong Neighborhoods — safe streets, reliable public safety, well-maintained infrastructure, and development that preserves Chaska's small-town character.
Thriving Businesses — a practical approach that helps employers grow and keeps city services efficient. I own one here.
By going to people rather than waiting for them on a Tuesday night. My campaign site is in English and Spanish because that shouldn't be an afterthought, and I'd push the city to do the same on major notices. I'd add one-page, plain-language summaries so taking part doesn't require reading 300 pages of packet, and I'd show up where people already are — the Farmers Market, schools, churches, neighborhood groups. A hearing isn't outreach if residents didn't know about it in time to come.
Transparency is posting the information. Accountability is whether a resident can find it, understand it, and hold someone to it. Chaska is good at the first. On CloudHQ I've asked the city to publish a plain side-by-side — what the 2023 AUAR assumed, what's proposed now, what changed. I'd want that for every major decision: one page, plain English, what it costs the median household, what's decided and what's still open. And I'd say publicly why I voted as I did.
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