Contact Phone
612-597-7100
Over the past 35 years, I’ve lived in Long Lake and Orono, respectively. During that time, I’ve come to care a great deal about our great community. One of my great privileges was being an active member of the Long Lake Volunteer Fire Department for 14 years, including 4 years as Fire Chief. I believe that the most pressing issue facing the city of Orono is fire services. Simply put, I’m 100% opposed to an independent Orono Fire Department and we need to elect officials that will immediately rebuild our relationship with the city of Long Lake. As a result, I believe that my fire department experience will help to effectively restore our short- and long-term fire services for community.
My first priority for the city of Orono is fire services The services provided by the Long Lake Fire Department for the past 109 years have met or exceeded expectations and ensured community safety. If I’m elected, I’ll prioritize getting fire services restored with Long Lake. Additional priorities include restoring City Council behavior and improved budget transparency.
As elected officials, we’re responsible to act as servant leaders and work on everyone’s behalf. My past professional leadership experiences, along with years of coaching youth and high school athletics, have provided me with a respectful and collaborative style. In turn, this allows me to value input, listen first and act second.
One of the most essential elements to building trust is being transparent and accountable. A good example of failed transparency is the Orono Fire Department. With virtually no public comment opportunity, the existing council made the decision to move forward. This type of covert approach to major changes in the community isn’t acceptable and frankly raises ethical questions. It’s my perspective that open dialogue is a key element to successful decision making and a positive culture.
I believe all of our residents have a right to have a say in our city politics. I am someone who believes in transparency, integrity and civility.
I have worked with city agencies through my work as a contractor and a landlord. I have a good understanding of city government and I look forward to learning what I don’t know. I am not afraid of asking questions or having questions asked of me.
I believe in asking questions and being a good listener. We should be able to have a conversation with opinions from both sides. We need to be able to work with each other and not just for our own individual agendas.
I am running to bring integrity, transparency and civility back to the Orono City Council. It is an area where there is an opportunity for great improvement.
I would like to examine the best way to move forward with the fire department and what recourse we have. With that, I would also like to re-establish relationships with our fellow municipalities.
I would inquire into the actions of the vacated lakeshore and the acquisitions thereafter and see if they pass the integrity test.
As a council, we start listening to each other to find solutions. As an elected official we should be working towards making decisions that are beneficial to all of us in the community, not just a select few.
I would like to see more communication. I know the City of Orono mails out a small pamphlet a few times a year but we should share more information. The most cost effective way would be to have a webpage on the Orono City web site. It should be transparent and concise.
Candidate response is not yet available.
Candidate response is not yet available.
Candidate response is not yet available.
Candidate response is not yet available.
As a wife and mother, I understand the need for a safe environment for our families. As a business owner, I know the importance of a stable foundation for economic growth and future planning. As an Orono graduate and long-time resident who has actively volunteered in many programs in our community, I’m deeply connected to the values that unite us and the vision we share for the future. With my experience, I’m confident that together we can nurture the strong roots of our past while finding local solutions for our future. I’m seeking to continue my service on the council because I’m deeply committed to preserving Orono’s natural beauty and ensuring it remains a safe, nurturing community for future generations. I'd appreciate your vote.
I’ll prioritize Fiscal Responsibility as it’s paramount to our city. As a business owner, I understand the importance of managing resources and planning for both immediate and future needs. I will prioritize Public Safety, ensuring it has the support and resources needed. Finally, I’ll strengthen communication channels. Encourage engagement through education of city process and provide consistent communication between city leadership and residents for building trust and community engagement.
I’ll draw from my Community Connections established from deep rooted engagement over the years to provide and foster open dialogue. I’ll use logic-based approach to decision making, focusing on the facts. I’ll continue to reach out to diverse viewpoints to increase understanding to guide decision making. My efforts to create a full-time communications position in the city, starting in 2025, are a direct result of my commitment to improving dialogue between residents and city leadership.
I'll focus on education, accessibility, and communication to keep residents informed and engaged. I'll provide accessible information that explains the city budget and timeline, decision-making processes, and how residents can track key information.
I'll support the new communications position, to enhance the flow of information between city leadership and residents. By sharing updates on decisions, budget details, and up upcoming initiatives, we can make sure residents are always aware informed
Having worked in the corporate world for one company for 24 years, I know the meaning of commitment– a quality I look for in leaders. The various positions I have held during that time have helped me understand how to work with others to build common understandings and solutions to challenging problems. These positions have also taught me one key to effective change– I will bring the ability to actively listen, to work hard to pay attention and truly hear what people say. I believe the lessons I have learned about communication and decision making will serve to help me act as a positive Council member willing to listen with patience, learn what I don’t know, and work towards fair and balanced agreements.
My first priority would be to listen to take in what residents and other Council members are saying. My second priority will be to look for ways to “lower the temperature” of Council meetings; there seems to be a general atmosphere calling for ways to defuse this stress. My third priority will be to consider all actions or requests brought to the Council evenly, ensuring that both the root causes and possible rewards and consequences of a choice are understood to the best of my ability.
The key forum for engagement between the City Council and Orono residents are the public City Council meetings. Members have the opportunity to work out solutions together and to listen respectfully to input from residents. Thus, I would attend ready to actively listen; e.g., if addressing, “How will Orono provide for branches larger than currently accepted at the Brush Site (due to storm events or ash borer)?”, I would listen to council members and residents for the best possible options.
Transparency in a place like a council means to me that any resident who wants to know if a decision was taken through correct steps can find out the details of the decision-making process and the reasons behind the choices. To support this, it is imperative that accurate records are kept and are available and understandable. It seems to me that right now, some changes are needed to bridge some apparent gaps between resident questions and available answers.
