Raised in rural Tennessee and Southern California, I was excited to study at Eastern Oregon University and make Union County my home six years ago! I have lived and attended church in La Grande since 2014, and I look forward to spending my life in northeast Oregon. My success at school, on the job, and in government comes down to my work ethic, desire to serve, and love of storytelling. (For those who want a resume, scroll to the bottom.)

In high school and college, I did everything I could to serve my fellow students. I was elected Secretary of my high school student government senior year on a platform of transparency, and I followed through by regularly posting meeting minutes online for the student body to review. While attending community college, I served as the student representative to the board of trustees, and an officer of the regional community college student government association.

At EOU, I was Chair of College Republicans and student representative on the Educational Policy and Curriculum Committee for 2 years. I was also a delegate to the Oregon Student Association and an adjudicator for the student government, ensuring that student body leaders appropriately followed state public meeting laws.

I have advocated for community improvements at the local, state, and federal level throughout my adulthood. In community college, I built an advocacy program for the regional community college student association serving California's central coast. At EOU, I interned, volunteered, and worked for University Advancement, guiding students and university officials through the legislative process.

My greatest legislative achievement is the passage of legislation affecting one of my previous employers, Blue Mountain Translator District. After becoming manager in 2017, I reviewed common community concerns with the District's revenue collection system, and publicly promised in November of that year that the District would address concerns with reform legislation. Within 18 months of meeting with Senators Bill Hansel and Cliff Bentz, and Representatives Greg Barreto and Lynn Findley, I shepherded Republican-sponsored reform legislation (SB 394) to unanimous passage through a Democratic supermajority. Legislation was passed by building a coalition of cities, counties, fire districts, and community organizations who agreed that it was time for BMTD to move forward. Our government should be responsive to the needs of citizens, and I am proud of my record of working through the legislative process to improve northeast Oregon.

When I see a call to serve in my community, I answer. My voluntary community and public leadership began in high school with service in student government. From 2018-2019, I served on the La Grande School District Strategic Planning Committee. From 2019-2020, I served on two advisory committees to the Federal Communications Commission dedicated to emergency alerts and broadcast facility resiliency. In 2020, I began serving on the Union County Budget Committee, and served on the NE Oregon Natural Hazards Steering Committee for Baker County. I'm a registered lobbyist with the State of Oregon and a member of the Oregon Capitol Club.