About Me
My Background
Growing up, I was raised to understand each individual person is an important member of the community. Most importantly, I saw first hand through the lives of my grandparents that you don’t have to be affluent to make a difference in your neighborhood - you make your difference through the lives you impact with thoughtful actions and kindness. In other words, do to others as you’d want done to you. I took this to heart, even as a young child. When I was just 6 years old, I knew that I wanted to be a Police Officer when I grew up! As a teen attending Park Senior High in Cottage Grove, I joined the Air Force Junior ROTC program and dove in - head first - to commit a large portion of my high school career to service in the community. I eventually was presented with the Honorable, Meritorious, and Presidential Service Awards. Serving those who need it most had solidified within me and I lived out my childhood dream to become a Police Officer.
While I didn’t know it was my plan at the time, my departure from police work opened another door for me to become more involved with residents in my community. For the first time I could really sit and talk with neighbors and community members about what is really important to them. One of the topics that came up often was the status of our schools in ISD 196. While many said they moved to ISD 196 specifically for the outstanding school district, many parents and residents were displeased with what they had seen happening in the classrooms during the pandemic, the changes in district policies that weren’t aligning with what they believed should be taught in a public school, and they were frustrated with how their tax dollars were being managed. I was honored the day I was asked by a parent I had recently met if I’d consider running for one of the contested school board seats in 2023. While I didn’t ever think I would be in a position to run for an elected position, I considered it and filed for candidacy!
Although I wasn’t elected, I am not giving up! The outpouring of support from parents and residents in the district has been overwhelming. As this next election cycle ramps up, I’m dedicated to continuing my service to the community through leading by example and utilizing my knowledge and experiences to partner together - staff, students, and community - to ensure all children can receive an excellent education in a safe learning environment. After all, they are our next generation of doctors, nurses, police officers, and - most importantly - our neighbors.
Law Enforcement Veteran
I spent 15 years as a Deputy Sheriff and Sergeant with the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office working in the jail, courts, patrol, and coordinating volunteers. Those duties have given me valuable experience in communicating with people of all walks of life during their worst and best times of their lives.
As one of the first female officers to supervise all-male housing units in the Hennepin County Jail, I learned quickly that fairness and respect for humanity can equalize many volatile situations. As a court security officer, I heard first-hand why it's so important to listen to both sides of the story to understand the full picture. And as a patrol officer, I served everyday to do my part in making a positive impact on the community with integrity and honesty. When I transitioned from Hennepin County to Lakeville PD, I took my experience working with volunteer Special Deputies to coordinate the volunteer Reserve Unit at the PD. That's right - citizen volunteers willing to put on a law enforcement uniform to serve their community and support their local officers - FOR FREE! Their willingness to give their time freely for a cause they felt deeply about was a true inspiration and helped me to become a better officer and community member myself.
Unfortunately, an accident at work caused me to have to medically retire from the law enforcement profession in 2023. Since then, I’ve had the opportunity to work for the MN Senate where I’ve been able to switch gears and gain insight on the process of how policies and laws are made, not just how they're enforced!
The experiences I've had and knowledge I've gained from my career in law enforcement is irreplaceable but very transferrable to working with all members of the community. I'm eagerly looking forward to getting to work for the parents, teachers, and students of ISD 196!
My Involvement
After our youngest son was born, we dove into the world of parenthood and all the activities a young child enjoys. From coaching T-Ball to Den Leader for Cub Scouts and taking on the duty as the Pack treasurer for the first time, raising a child in the south metro and being involved in my local community was everything I had imagined it would be.
But, working shift work as a police officer didn't always allow me to be as available as I would have liked. One of the duties I was asked to join was the Sheriff's Office Law Enforcement Explorer program as an Advisor and I can say (without hesitation) it was the most impactful duty that I had in my career. Never had I imagined that I would have found so much joy teaching teens and young adults not only the job of an officer, but also in guiding the next generation of leaders on a path of being good citizens in their communities. I connected with them so deeply that I still often keep in contact with many of them to this day. And, even though I left Hennepin County as an officer in 2017, I have continued my service to that community as the Chair of the Hennepin County Sheriff Foundation. In that position, I am honored to have the opportunity to make an impact on programing and giving that helps to bridge a relationship that enriches the community and the Law Enforcement profession.
In late 2017, I began working for Lakeville PD as it was always my intent to serve in the community I lived in - it was truly a dream come true. I was able to connect with other officers in the area and I became involved with the South Metro Lodge Fraternal Order of Police where I’ve served as the Vice President since 2020. The support and comradery that offered through the FOP organization is another spoke in the wheel of means for the community to come together - in good times and bad - to understand we're all in this life together. From organizing events to simply get together or to ensure community members are supported, my time with the South Metro FOP has been an invaluable opportunity for me to reach out to local organizations for partnership opportunities and create stakeholder relationships - both of which are important aspects for a strong organization to grow and thrive.
