About Me
My desire to continue to serve our community comes from my love of this place and my belief that we are in a time of great transformation - a time that will chart the course for Ashland’s future. In spite of our many challenges, I am excited by the progress we have made in the last two years and by what is possible in the next four. I believe everyone has a role to play in serving their community and I would welcome the opportunity to continue to serve as your mayor.
I grew up in Wadsworth, Nevada, a very small town on the southern end of the Pyramid Lake Paiute Indian Reservation. My father worked in a cement plant and was elected as the Justice of the Peace when I was 7 years old.
I grew up watching him serve the people of our community with thoughtfulness, compassion, and accountability. I saw how his service made the community stronger, even though our town was so small that court was only held on Wednesday afternoons.
Forty-five years later, the court he helped revive is still open on Wednesday afternoons, and it is still an important community anchor.
Watching from the vantage point of a child, my takeaway was that when something needs to be done in my community, I should step up and try to help.
My Second Hometown
Ashland has been my second hometown for over 25 years. I have raised my children here because of its safe environment, natural beauty, dedication to its children, and its eclectic mix of small town and nationally renowned theater, art, and music. The people of Ashland care about many things and are willing to invest in community. We see that in our parks, schools, and many of the services offered through city government. As locals, we know Ashland is an incredible place to live, play, work, raise a family, and retire.
Community Involvement
My activities in and for the Ashland community have included serving:
as a member of FEMA’s National Advisory Council
as a member of the Ashland Chamber of Commerce’s Emergency Preparedness Committee
as a member of the League of Oregon Cities Energy and Environment Committee
as a member of the League of Oregon Cities General Governance Committee
as a member of Options for Housing, Resources, and Assistance (OHRA) Advisory Board
as the coordinator of the Adopt-a-Neighbor Ashland program during the pandemic
as a member of the Oregon Department of Transportation’s Climate Change, Environment, and Resiliency Work Group
as a member of the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development’s Climate Change Vulnerability Advisory Group
as a Precinct Committee Person and former Finance Chair for the Jackson County Democrats
as co-chair of the Ashland School District’s Bond Committee
as a parent coordinator of Senior All Night celebrations
as a leader of the turf field fundraising effort at Ashland High School
as a youth basketball, volleyball, and softball coach
on the Church Council for the Ashland First Congregational United Church of Christ
as the Board Treasurer for the Nonprofit Association of Oregon
Developing a Land Ethic
Concerns about the environment were not top of mind when I left my small town for Occidental College. While chronic seasickness put an end to my dream of being a marine biologist, my time in Los Angeles forced me to confront the ecological impacts of how people were living on the land.
I changed my major to Biophysical Environmental Studies and transferred to Northland College in Wisconsin. After Northland, it was on to Vermont to complete a Masters in Community Development at Goddard College.
Solving Complex Problems
I currently serve as the Executive Director of the Geos Institute where much of my work focuses on helping communities build climate resilience.
This work has taught me how to engage a community to help it create integrated, holistic solutions to some of its most difficult challenges – a skill that is critically important as we work to address complex issues, such as the housing crisis, homelessness, economic disruption, and the climate crisis.
Service on the Ashland City Council
I was elected to the Ashland City Council in November, 2018. During my time on the Council, I have served as the Council Liaison to the Wildfire Safety Commission, the Conservation and Climate Outreach Commission, the Rogue Valley Transportation District, and the Rogue Valley Metropolitan Planning Organization. I served as Chair of the Climate Policy Commission at the request of the mayor to help get the commission up and running. I was elected by the Council to serve as Council Chair in 2022 and 2023. In 2022, I was elected for a second term on the Council and then appointed Mayor in early 2023. Information about specific issues taken up by the Council can be found on my blog.
Family
I have six grown children who I have raised in Ashland. I know from that experience that Ashland is one of the very best places to live and raise a family and I am committed to ensuring that it remains such a place. I would be honored to continue to serve as your mayor.
