I am a lifelong resident of Wisconsin. I grew up in Spooner and spent a number of my working years in the southern part of the state. Summers and holidays were spent up North with my family, and I had the good fortune to move back home to eventually retire.
While I was growing up, my dad Charlie was a member of the City Council, the County Board and the Democratic Party. He taught me that making government work should be a shared civic responsibility. I chose to run for
public office because I share that ideal.
Government at its best provides vital services which positively affect ourdaily lives – education, health care, emergency services. I am excited to work for legislative change that can positively impact the everyday lives of my Up North community.
Spooner is my heart and my home. My priorities center around protecting and preserving what we all love most about living Up North – the lakes, rivers, wetlands and woods. Small family farms – rural family businesses – the quiet spaces. It’s a way of life that is changing, but parts of it can be honored and preserved. It would be exciting to bring economic development projects like eco-tourism, farm-to-table bed and breakfasts and other destination
attractions to the area that would bring assets and tourism but not damage our landscape.
The issues of housing, labor shortages and child care all critically need our attention. It is becoming increasingly hard to attract and keep employees or new businesses when we have a shortage of affordable housing and child care in the area. The lack of universal access to high-speed internet continues to be a barrier to development in
our northern counties.
Health care access remains a critical issue in our area. The closure of the Sacred Heart/Prevea facilities in Eau Claire and Chippewa Falls points out the weaknesses in the system. The loss of providers and crucial services such as the loss of inpatient mental health beds will create ongoing challenges for counties in locating services and managing costs. Women’s access to all reproductive health care must be protected. A woman and her doctor must be free to make health care decisions to safeguard a woman’s health.
Education:
Graduate of Spooner High School, Spooner, WI;
B.A. in Social Welfare, UW-Eau Claire;
M.S. in Media Communications, UW-Whitewater.
Boards & Committees:
Former Washburn County Supervisor:
Washburn County Health & Human Services Board,
The Solid Waste Recycling Committee,
The UW Extension Committee
The Washburn County Transit
Commission (Chair).