Twenty-two years ago, in 2004, I ran for office for the first time in the City of De Pere. I was young, optimistic, and eager to serve. I had the good fortune to serve the city of De Pere for two terms before I opted not to run for re-election. A great deal has changed since then; our country and our politics now seem almost unrecognizable in the time that has elapsed since 2004. I’ve also changed. My understanding of leadership and community service hasn’t changed, but my own lived experience informs my view that no one political party, or ideology, should have carte blanche over any level government.

In 2011, I moved to Portland, Oregon, where I lived for more than a decade. Portland was, in many ways, an inspiring place to call home. I saw firsthand what can happen when a city invests in smart growth, walkable neighborhoods, local businesses, and a vibrant arts and food culture. It reinforced my belief that communities thrive when they plan intentionally and think long term.

During the pandemic, I returned from Oregon to work on the home here in Green Bay that I inherited from my late father when he passed from pancreatic cancer in 2018. During that pandemic period of time I met the love of my life (and now husband), Jacob. We returned to Oregon together for a while beginning in 2021. Portland was a place that we both have loved but watched with great disappointment as it struggled to find its footing amid the pandemic and voter-adpoted initiative to decriminalize small quantities of nearly all drugs. This led to an explosion in homelessness, mental illness, and addiction that largely played out on the streets unchecked. It became clear that the crisis, despite abundant funding and intent to improve conditions, was not getting better for the people living on the streets, but also for the communities that confronted increasing lawlessness before moving back to Green Bay.

But I also witnessed something else. I saw how even well-meaning leadership can drift off course when ideology overshadows pragmatism. I saw complex challenges met with slogans rather than serious analysis. I saw public spending become disconnected from measurable outcomes, particularly when it came to mental illness, addiction, and houselesness. Those experiences deepened my perspective. They taught me that good governance requires balance, critical thinking, accountability, and a disciplined focus on results. Even, and especially, when leaders share many of your values.

That lesson has stayed with me.

In recent years, I’ve found myself increasingly concerned about the direction of our politics, not just nationally, but locally. Too often, public life feels driven by outrage and division. Issues that have little relevance to local governance are used to draw lines between neighbors. Decision-making bodies that should be focused on roads, public safety, public health, and responsible budgeting instead become stages for partisan signaling.

Local government should not be a battleground for ideological performance. It should be where serious people come together to solve practical problems.

We will not always agree, nor should we. But we should be able to agree on this: when possible, reaching for curiosity over condemnation. Putting people over politics. Focusing on outcomes over applause. And assume good faith in one another, even when we disagree.

I decided to run for the Brown County Board of Supervisors because I want to move from commentary to contribution. Voting matters. Conversations matter. But at some point, if you care about your community, you have to be willing to step forward.

Green Bay and Brown County face real and emerging challenges in the years ahead. We need leaders who are thoughtful about growth, disciplined about spending, serious about accountability, and committed to keeping local government focused on local issues.

I am running to help do that work - carefully, responsibly, and with respect for the people we serve.