Community Service: Most of my time spent volunteering is centered around my children, team dinners, fundraisers, coaching, volunteering in their classrooms etc. It’s given me the opportunity to really get to know our educators, administrators and coaches. I also volunteer in activities with a group of nurses I work with, we do things such as clean yards/mow for the elderly, food drives etc.

What is your motivation for running for office? Simply put, the kids! My husband and I have been blessed to have raised three children in Baldwin from Pre-K to high school and I saw a need and opportunity to serve my community. I believe it is the responsibility of the school board to ensure the educators and children have the resources to be successful while also being a good steward of tax dollars and community resources. 

My kids have been extremely active in all aspects of school:  Band, athletics, student council, FCA, stand up to cancer, journalism, honors classes, etc. Through all these activities, I have had the opportunity to visit countless schools in our district and beyond and have been able to see first-hand what we are doing right and things we could do better. I would be honored to assist U.S.D. 348 in facilitating increased safety and security, CTE development, facility improvement and more. 

What is one major issue Baldwin City USD #348 is facing currently and how would you address it? There are multiple things I would like to see for Baldwin Schools, but one would be “increased safety.” I would love to see the district be able to hire an additional School Resource Officer so that we could have one for the Primary Center and Intermediate Center and one for Junior High and High Schools.

What is your vision for Baldwin City USD #348 5-10 years in the future? To continue to grow and stay competitive with the similarly sized districts around us, this includes CTE development and increased community engagement in schools and school activities. We are blessed with some amazing educators and students in our district, and I believe the school board sets the vision of the school district.  It is then the responsibility of the school board to seek input from educators, students and community members.  This group of people’s input is vital in the success of the school district and develops a sense of ownership in our school system.

What personal characteristics and/or abilities do you have that qualify you for election to the School Board? My ability to look at things from other people’s perspectives. To serve in this capacity you need to be able to look beyond your own feelings and interpretations of things to see the big picture. Additionally, every one of my kids have attended the Baldwin school district since they were in pre-K. We are familiar with each school, have built relationships with educators and have experiences with each step in the Baldwin education system.