Raised in the suburbs of Chicago with a pack of sisters, my parents instilled in me a core sense of responsibility to the community around us. This means we speak up for ourselves and others. We contribute to make things better. We do our part when we can. Even as a young girl, I understood the power of advocacy. As a pre-teen, I collected classmates’ signatures as the student council Vice President successfully petitioning for extended recess time in middle school (!). While in college, I worked to establish the first Victim’s Advocate Program at my alma mater. In my 20s and 30s, my career in public relations focused on many community-centric efforts including healthcare, education, nutrition, and children’s advocacy programs.

When we moved to Edina 18 years ago, and our oldest daughter was embarking on kindergarten, I turned my focus to our community and how to contribute in a positive, impactful way. We fell in love with ‘up north’ planting our roots, embracing Minnesota (including cabin life), and choosing to raise our family here. Our journey started with Edina Public Schools with all four of our kids having attended (or still attending) EPS from ECFE at the Early Learning Center up through 12th grade.

One of the things that attracted me to Minnesota, and Edina specifically, is that we’re a community of innovators and entrepreneurs. For the last eight years, I’ve worked to strengthen this spirit as a leader with TEDXEdina, helping to illuminate and share local ideas in Minnesota that have had global impact. 

In 2019, I decided to run for the Edina School Board because I believe in the power of strong public schools, and their impact on our kids, our families, our community, and our future. As currents to undermine EPS landed in our community, it was essential to elect a School Board that reflected the values and priorities of our Edina community — I believe public school funding is vital, access and opportunity for all students to thrive is non-negotiable, and teacher support is more important than ever. My term began in January 2020 and I immediately played a significant role in drafting and finalizing the district’s 10-Year Strategic Plan along with key policy development work. When COVID hit a few months later, I faced the challenges and complexities of governing through a pandemic head-on relying on my ability to make sound decisions rooted in data and expert guidance, with a keen sense of accountability and compassion for our school district community.

I took an active role and chaired the Edina School Board’s Legislative Action Committee leading efforts to collaboratively develop a legislative platform of priorities with district admin, community members, staff, students and partners around the state. This work advanced our community’s advocacy voice on public education both at the state and federal level working to secure additional resources and funding to close cross-subsidies and to be a voice for policy decisions.

The past four years serving on the Board have been important and meaningful. Working on the district budget, I learned how large and complex public school financing is especially about sound, fiscally responsible decision making. I am proud to have played a role in effective governance based on collaboration, transparency, and vision. I leaned into understanding the interconnectivity of legislative work and our school district community, and the importance of getting it right in order to hold the system up. In addition to education, I believe issues facing our students are reflective of what’s on the minds of many of us — safety and security, environment, climate and true sustainability concerns, equality rights and access to opportunities, and the mental health and well-being of one another.

Practical leadership experience:

• Edina School Board member (2020-2024) Vice Chair, Chair/Policy Committee, Chair/Legislative Action Committee, Governance Committee member, World’s Best Workforce member, AMSD Board rep, school and partner group liaison role

• Public Relations, Marketing and Communications, 25+ years of experience with public relations agency, in-house marketing, independent contractor work (Ongoing)

• Co-Organizer, TEDxEdina 2018, TEDxEdina + TEDxEdina Youth 2022, TEDxEdina Youth 2023 (Ongoing)

• Marketing and Communication Support, Edina Community Education Services, Edina Public Schools (Dec 2017 - June 2019)

• Edina Public Schools Volunteer, serving in contributing roles and efforts in and out of the classroom supporting of Edina Early Learning Center, Concord Elementary, South View Middle School, Edina High School and Edina Community Education (Ongoing 18+ years)

• Co-Chairwoman, Vote YES! EPS citizen campaign (2017)

• Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communication (English minor) from the University of Dayton (OH)

• Aspiring author. Addicted to podcasts. Decent at ping pong.