My love of children was the basis of my career. I worked with children throughout college and then as a teacher and a social worker. I worked as child mental health specialist, then expanded my work across the age span, finding new fulfillment in my work with adults and older adults.
I spent my career in non-profits, moving into executive roles where I managed large, complex budgets, worked on public policy and supported and developed innovative programs. In the last several years, I worked on cutting edge integrated behavioral health and primary care services. I was a Regional Director for two organizations, serving several counties in North Puget Sound. I now work as an Executive Director of a local environmental organization, working to enhance and protect the beauty of our islands. I am proud of my career and I also understand the challenges of raising a family and building a career. I will bring my personal understanding and my professional experience to support working families in Island County.
Because I was raised to understand that community and service matter, I have been volunteering since I was a teenager. I have taught Sunday school, worked with homeless youth, served on non-profit boards, and even coached soccer for my five-year-old daughter’s team. I was a foster parent for nearly 20 years and am proud of the resilience and achievements of the children that as adults, are still part of our family.
This belief in community and service came from my parents. My father was a Navy man during World War II, and my mother was a teacher. My parents were married in a small chapel in the shadow of the Grand Tetons and I believe my love of the outdoors emerged from the times we spent as a family skiing, camping and traveling. I was born in Idaho but we moved often. As a baby, I lived in Newport News, Virginia where my father was a civilian engineer on the USS Enterprise. We later moved to Pennsylvania, back to Idaho and then to California where I went on to graduate from University of California at Berkeley.
My husband and I met playing sports and sailing the Puget Sound. He swept me off my feet a decade ago and we merged two families, bringing together several children and now grandchildren. John retired from Boeing in 2016. We both love our community and are active volunteers.
All of this has been a privilege and a calling, for as Frederich Buechner wrote your call is “the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.” I will bring to you respectful and experienced leadership that values community and people above all. I will bring my history of working across the aisle for effective and equitable public policy. I offer to the people of Island County that when we come together, with shared values and a commitment to common-sense solutions, we will strengthen and protect our islands and our communities.
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