Ready on Day One

The Covid-19 pandemic and its economic and fiscal repercussions likely amount to the most significant crisis Lexington has faced in generations. I’m even more confident that my mix of deep government experience and forward-looking vision best qualify me for 3rd District Representative.

I’m proud that I’ll be ready to start on day one.

Mechanics of City Government

Early in my career, I assumed a role at the Kentucky League of Cities. There I was hyper-focused on equipping Kentucky municipalities to operate efficiently and in concert with regional and government partners.

I developed and delivered training to hardworking government officials from around the state, who varied greatly in their levels of education and knowledge of municipal law. I took very complicated legal requirements and distilled them into easily understood information that helped our city officials do their jobs with confidence and accuracy, to better serve the public.

Later, in 2015 Mayor Jim Gray appointed me to the Lexington Human Rights Commission. In this role, I aided in investigating discrimination in housing, employment, and public accommodations. It taught me there is always work to be done to ensure government keeps its most basic promise: to provide safety and protection for all, and most importantly, for those marginalized and disenfranchised.

These public roles involve me intimately with the city’s budgeting process, and in a time of fiscal stress, this experience is invaluable.

Similarly, the city’s Historic Preservation Office nominated me to serve on the Rural Land Management Board. I still hold this role today. There we work to protect the emerald necklace that surrounds Lexington’s urban core that gives us our charm. We oversee the Purchase of Development Rights program, which invests public dollars in the protection of Lexington’s land and protects our character from sprawl.

At both the Human Rights Commission and the Rural Land Management Board, our recommendations and reports regularly drive the LFUCG Council agenda, and I work to voice community concerns and suggestions to our leaders.

Neighborhood Commitment

Today I am the President of the Bell Court Neighborhood Association, where I live with my husband and our puppies. There I have the honor of collaborating with my neighbors to enhance the livability of our community for all of our residents.

In this role, I have working relationships with our Council representatives and city government. We navigate together City Hall and our concerns and recommendations for improvements with Traffic Engineering, the Lexington Tree Board, and Historic Preservation.

Each night, my husband and I walk around our neighborhood and deepen our friendships with our neighbors as we pass each other on the sidewalk and spend hours catching up.

Serving Lexington

I was also fortunate to work with the amazing team at Chrysalis House, where I was an in-house attorney specializing in risk assessment and management. This organization empowers substance-dependent expectant mothers so they can keep their children while in treatment. I was honored to be a part of a team that literally saves families.

I continue to give back to my community by working with organizations making tough decisions during the Covid-19 health and economic crisis. I serve on the boards of the Kentucky Civil Justice Commission, Baptist Health Foundation, Step by Step, the Fayette County Bar Association, the Young Lawyers Division of the Kentucky Bar Association, and the Junior League of Lexington’s Holly Day Market.

I’m excited to use my experience to secure Lexington’s future health and well-being. By knowing how to affect change in government, I’ll be ready on day one.