What Matters

When my family and I moved to Mount Vernon from Bellingham in 2012, I fell in love with the small-town feel, the access to food grown and produced by my neighbors, and the uniquely diverse environment.

I was elected to the Mount Vernon Farmers’ Market Board of Directors soon after we settled here. Equity has been one of my lifelong concerns and on the board I was proud to represent parents who utilize WIC and SNAP; together we created the Double Up Bucks program to get healthy food to local families. I have since served the community as a Girl Scout Troop leader, PTO member, MVHS Music Boosters board Director, Lincoln Theatre volunteer, Skagit Gleaners volunteer, and Moms Demand Action/Everytown for Gun Safety educator. I have advocated for local scholars of all ages as a reviewer with the Pride Foundation's scholarship committee. 

I love local politics, and enthusiastically canvassed for Richard Brocksmith, Iris Carias, Lucy Madrigal and Laura Riquelme's campaigns. I was humbled (in more ways than one!) to work in communications for Senator Elizabeth Warren's Presidential run. After being diagnosed with breast cancer and interfacing with Skagit Regional Health, I decided that we could do better, and ran for Hospital District Commissioner (and lost). When I realized that the Skagit Valley had never hosted an LGBTQ+ Pride Parade, I organized the first-ever, and the following year it grew to include a resource fair featuring legal aid, gender affirming care, PrEP access and a drag show. 

I proudly send my children to Mount Vernon public schools, and as an educator myself, who is married to a public middle school teacher, I stand strong in support of school staff and their bargaining collectives, as well as those of other skilled professionals like our valued nurses, tradespeople, and agricultural workers. I have walked alongside our Skagit farmworkers during their fight for fair treatment and I have rallied against the deportation of our neighbors. 

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I work every day with adolescents and young adults with intellectual disabilities, and I spend a lot of time imagining how to make their lives better and fuller. Accessibility benefits everyone, and Mount Vernon has a lot of room for improvement! 

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Many in our community struggle with addiction, housing instability, transportation challenges and disconnection. We are all safer when we address hardship with practical solutions like affordable housing, accessibility, fair wages, robust public transit, and supportive services. I would be honored to work toward an equitable future for all of us, as your City Council Member.