About Me

The Long Version

I've been a resident of Wooster for the past 20 years and one of my favorite things to say is that while some people are lucky enough to be born here, we CHOSE to make Wooster our home.

My husband (Dan) and I are both from the Detroit area. He had been in sales for a publishing company and needed to live in Ohio for work. Since I have extended family in the Ashland area, we began looking in Northeast Ohio and decided that Wooster was exactly our speed.

When we moved here, we had three young children; three more were added to the fold by 2010. Shortly before our 6th child was born, Dan lost his job and began buying and selling used items to help make ends meet. This side work turned into a full-blown business in 2012 when we opened Great Finds Resale in downtown Wooster.

The business has been a huge learning experience both professionally and personally. I have met so many interesting people and learned countless life-lessons in the process of running the business alongside my husband.

In the meantime, I had long felt the pull on my heart to be a foster parent. Thankfully I have a husband who is willing to get drawn into my big ideas so in 2019 we began the training process. Finally by late 2020, we got our license. We expected to focus on school-aged children who were just in foster care temporarily but God had other plans! In July 2021, three very young children (4 months, 22 months, and 3 years old) ended up placed in our care and eventually became available for adoption, which we hope will be completed in the early summer of 2025. We continue to foster and provide respite for other foster families.

We have now transitioned to Dan running the day-to-day operations of the store so that I can be home taking care of the little ones. I also began working for a company doing title abstracting, which is the research process behind buying and selling real estate or getting a new mortgage. I am able to do this from home with frequent trips to the Recorder’s office at the County building downtown. As a former editor and proofreader, I love the detailed work this process demands and I’ve also gotten to know so much about Wayne County.

I was asked recently why I decided to run for city council and I think that’s an excellent question. I’ve spent 20 years as a Wooster resident and have actively participated in the city’s recreation, education, and many community groups. I love this community, but I’ve also witnessed how difficult it can be to find safe, affordable housing and have seen less than ideal conditions that some people have to navigate every day. I’ve also seen first-hand the challenges with starting and operating a local business. While some of the issues are beyond what a city government can or should do, I am interested in finding creative partnerships between the city and non-profit groups to help improve the daily lives of everyone in our community.

No town is perfect but I have actively sought ways to be part of the community for two decades. I’ve volunteered extensively for many years in a variety of capacities. My undergraduate degree is in political science with a concentration in state and local government. I am running for Wooster City Council Ward 4 because I would like to be part of our city’s future. I like to listen and gather information from many stakeholders and then collaborate on solutions. I feel that my background and wide variety of experiences will be an asset on City Council. I invite those in Ward 4 and beyond to contact me if you’d like to discuss your perspective or hear mine on issues facing Wooster.

Thank you for your consideration!