I began getting involved in our community when my son Merrick was 5 and was entering Kindergarten in 2011. At that time it seemed like there was a lack of parent involvement. I pride myself on helping and saw there was a void in our youth programs and they needed help. Both my husband and I volunteered to coach football, t-ball and ultimately basketball. Those roles morphed into our board involvement in Richfield Youth Football & Richfield Basketball.

I was an active member in the Parent Association Groups at both R-STEM and Centennial Elementary while my sons were in elementary school, which energized me to run for School Board in 2015.

I was a Richfield Friendship City Commission member from 2013 until 2019.  The Friendship City commission was a commission that helped our relationship with our city’s counterparts in Heredia Costa Rica, where I had the privilege of visiting and studying on a high school trip during my junior year in high school at Breck.  It is such a unique place in the world, and led me to continue my passion for learning Spanish and now this holds a close place in my heart.  Richfield is now home to a community of Costa Ricans. 

During COVID the Friendship City Commission was dissolved, and at the recommendation of Mayor Supple, the City Charter Commission needed someone that looked like me.  Our Commissions are a great place for people that look like us to get involved. 

I had the pleasure of connecting with BJ Skoog the Founder of the Richfield Leadership Network while on the City Charter Commission. The Richfield Leadership Network raises awareness to a need in our community to connect and network with professionals, and the rest of the community.  We have come so far since its inception, and now host the Hoop Local 3v3 fundraiser every year, hold food & coat drives, as well as lending our hands in volunteering anywhere that we can.  The Galaxy Food Complex mural was its first project to create an awesome interactive mural at 72nd & Chicago. 

Now that Merrick has graduated high school I am excited to expand my work in our community through serving on the Richfield City Council as the Ward 3 representative.