I have been privileged to serve as your City Council member for the last four years, and I’m also an advocate, lawyer, and have lived in this community with my family for more than 16 years.
I am proud of what we have accomplished during my first term. It’s been a tremendous opportunity to be involved and to have an impact.
Most specifically, I have never been prouder of our city staff and our community in the last 19 months in coming together to deal with COVID-19. We are not out of the woods yet, but we are working together to ensure that our community is safe and healthy.
I have included highlights of all of the work on my website, and if you don’t know about my background or qualifications, you can check them out there as well.
I bring a unique lens, having advocated for and developed public policy on behalf of Ohioans at the local, state and federal level for my entire career and I continue to do so as an elected official.
I went door to door four years ago during my first campaign, asking residents what were the issues on their minds. An older couple shared with me how much they loved this community and wanted to stay, but were concerned about how they could do that as they were looking to downsize. A father shared how he wished he could have his parents living closer so that they could be more engaged with their young grandchildren. I had friends who expressed how much they wanted to move to Worthington as they were just starting out, but had a difficult time finding any affordable options.
Among the many things I took from these stories was that people have a sense of pride and love for this community. People want to start their families here, and ultimately stay here for the long term.
This is why I have felt so strongly about Worthington becoming a livable community for all ages and all abilities. An Age-Friendly community for ages 8 to 80. A community that can truly support us all and we can be a part of. These are the things that matter.
I believe that communities should provide safe, walkable streets; age-friendly housing and transportation options; access to needed services and public spaces; and opportunities for all residents to participate in community life.
During my first City Council meeting, my first action was to advocate that the idea of a “livable community for all ages,” should be included as we developed a process for a Vision for Worthington.
In 2019, I successfully advocated that City Council to make the Age Friendly initiative a top priority and drafted the resolution that Council passed to have Worthington join the National Network of Age-Friendly Cities and States. Now I am part of a group of community stakeholders working to make that vision a reality. Find out more at: www.worthington.org/age-friendly
I’ve also made it my goal to keep people informed and to make myself accessible. Whether it’s through social media, email newsletters, one-on-one meetings, emails, or quarterly office hours I strive to keep people informed and connected to city government.
We may not always agree, but we care deeply about what happens here, and about each other. My goal is to work together to ultimately do what’s best for the community as a whole so that we can all live and thrive here for years to come.
In the last four years I’ve been a part of something tremendous – with many new initiatives and projects to move us forward.
Thank you for the privilege to serve this community. I would very much like to continue to serve as a member of Worthington City Council and I ask for your support – with my campaign, and of course with your vote on November 2. Thank you!