In May 2023, I earned a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree from Northern Illinois University and am looking forward to serving the public via employment in an Illinois municipality. Prior to living in DeKalb, I resided in Michigan, Oklahoma, and Virginia. Now it feels like I've come full circle: I was born an hour east of Lake Michigan, and now I live an hour west of that beautiful expanse of blue!

The African proverb "It takes a village to raise a child" is very true for me. I grew up in rural Michigan in a village with less than 3,000 residents. Long winters with lake effect snow stretched from Halloween to Easter. Everyone used different survival rituals until the ice melted, and when those failed, resources were shared. I learned firsthand why community sustainability matters.

Find out what I've been doing recently and learn more about what informs my work by visiting this site's other pages.