A little about me
I grew up in rural Middle Tennessee and the hills and creeks of this state are in my bones and very being. I watched my Dad and his volunteer fire department friends get out of their warm beds to serve neighbors in times of great need. I grew up in the shadow of heroes who taught me the meaning of service and of courage through faith.
To this day, I carry that message with me. My career as a counselor has led me into strange places, from courtrooms with domestic violence victims to addiction centers, crisis calls, and, most recently, a group practice.
I am focused on
Community infrastructure
New gathering spaces
Strengthen small businesses
Empowering the health department
A campaign you can count on
To be a County Commissioner means a new opportunity to continue to serve my home of the past 12 years. It means using my skills as a counselor to listen to my neighbors, and advocate for their needs. The role of a County Commissioner is not a leadership position but as an opportunity to be part of a team whose goal is to help people from all parts of the county succeed.
To do this, my campaign is focused on three specific areas
New gathering spaces
As District 7 continues to develop, we need opportunities to think about what we want for our
community. I propose increasing access to parks and walkable business centers and exploring the building of community centers. This way, friends and neighbors can get together to enjoy the beauty of our district.
Open community areas have been shown to support both physical and mental health. We would use these spaces for concerts, plays, markets, festivals, or just get-togethers with friends and family. This would mean increasing our existing places, like Heritage or Apison Parks, and working with developers to expand sidewalks and pathways in their projects.
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We need to focus on strengthening our current small businesses and helping people starting small businesses get off the ground. This is especially true for District 7; in this way, our patronage stays with our neighbors and in our community, helping others succeed.
Empowering the health dept.
Like many of Hamilton county’s citizens, I have experienced times in my life when I relied on public health departments to assist me with the care I needed. Roughly one-third of Hamilton County residents have either TennCare or no insurance, leading many to rely on the health department for their health and wellness. However, today these vital programs to the county are cut, sometimes with little to no warning and minimal pushback by the current District 7 commissioner. There are vague plans to replace some of these services with mobile units, while services have been cut altogether, with almost no input
from constituents.
We must require transparency and communication when thinking about the physical and emotional health of our people. This means a functioning health department to meet the needs of our citizens, and ensure addiction treatment and mental health services do not struggle to keep up with the overwhelming demand.
Community infrastructure
I believe we have to think hard about the infrastructure of our roads and schools as we consider future development. To make sure new developments focus on the safety of the people living in them and their neighbors. To be thoughtful about our schools.
Many people move to our district because we have excellent schools, but if these schools become overloaded, they will lose what makes them special. It is paramount the county commission fund all Hamilton County schools so every school can continue to grow their excellence for the children and families they serve.