What motivated you to run for office? Why was receiving Women Winning’s endorsement important to you and your campaign?

Over the past 15 years serving and advocating for St. Cloud residents, I have witnessed great changes in the needs of my fellow citizens. As a woman of color, I am especially aware of the growth in diversity in our community. Nearly 21,000 of 67,000+ residents in St. Cloud identify as people of color. To adequately represent the unique needs of that segment’s needs, City Council must match the demographics of its constituents.

Additionally, the personal struggles many in our city currently face makes simple survival more difficult now than 5-10 years ago. Financial hardship, mental health issues, housing and food security are some of the obstacles interfering with citizens’ ability to live their best lives, to provide at the level they wish for their children and families. These challenges—and so many others—transcend demographics as equal-opportunity destroyers of quality-of-life. I’m running to be a voice for all St. Cloud residents who cannot, or do not feel like they are heard. Listening to all concerns and amplifying those voices is what has inspired me to represent my neighbors across county lines as much as other social barriers that may artificially separate us. United, we can do more for more people, using fewer resources to achieve our collective goal: to live freely, and to live well.

As a female candidate, receiving Women Winning’s endorsement signifies to prospective voters what I value and the style of leadership they may expect from me if elected. Your organization’s endorsement identifies me as a candidate who will advocate for gender equity and protect reproductive rights to the extent a position as city counselor allows. Women Winning’s endorsement broadcasts my platform across a diverse group of voters who are equally passionate about these issues. It reinforces aspects of my character that directly inform how I will interact with both my prospective constituents and fellow council members and city colleagues—mutual respect, integrity, accountability, transparency, authenticity—because how we work together is as important as (and often dependent upon) what we achieve.

What does Reproductive Justice mean to you? What are the most pressing reproductive justice issues facing your district?

I equate Reproductive Justice with freedom and prosperity. Reproductive Justice translates as an active protection of the rights of all gender identities to care for the health of their bodies and the expression of their sexuality as they see fit with others who share those same rights. This level of Reproductive Justice comes without exceptions, and it includes the ability to control and decide, as autonomous individuals, how we manage all activities related to reproductive acts. More specifically, reproductive rights protect the choice to bear or not bear a child, to enter or exit different types of partnerships (or to not enter those partnerships) between consenting adults regardless of the chronology of those partnerships or the gender identities of the individuals we encounter, to seek therapy and consultation with professionals without embarrassment or prejudice related to one’s choices regarding child-bearing/rearing and expressions of partnering (including marriage, civil unions, celibacy, polyamorous relationships, short-term connections, etc.).

While the influence of city council on these issues is limited, those elected must have a deep understanding of how a lack of Reproductive Justice causes and/or exacerbates the struggles I previously mentioned in the first question. We are holistic creatures—our difficulties affect all areas of our lives (and the lives of others, whether our communities foster unjust or just conditions). Because some candidates for mayor and city council (including existing seat holders) are diametrically opposed to constituents’ rights to abortion, fertility treatment, and other reproductive health concerns, the need for well-informed proponents to champion and defend the rights of all to access care and express themselves in regards to Reproductive Justice is a matter of protecting human rights.

What distinguishes you as a leader? What do you most want voters to know about how you will represent them?

Paul Wellstone stated, “Politics isn’t about big money or power games; it’s about the improvement of people’s lives.” As a leader in the St. Cloud community, I firmly believe the true purpose of politics should never result in privileging a politician’s (or their donors’) personal gain or wealth; rather, a public-servant’s only role is addressing the needs of the entire community they represent, making decisions that concretely and positively impact people’s daily lives, empowering them to not only survive but thrive. People who thrive, in turn, help others thrive as well. I’ve lived in St. Cloud for 19 years. I have a BA in conflict resolution from the College of Saint Benedict/Saint John’s University, an MA in main-conflict resolution and transformation from Notre Dame University; I am completing an EdD in Leadership at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota. These degrees have taught me much about how we, as human beings, separate from each other and the issues that arise in the multiple environments we inhabit. More importantly, my education has shown me how to respond to those moments when we are defensive—to bring us together and reconcile division—as well as what best practices we can follow to minimize the frequency and severity of conflict. I am committed to navigating times we disagree without becoming adversaries but allies in search of understanding each other and finding common solutions.

While earning my degrees, I have pursued pathways to implement what I have learned to enrich our community. I have taught at St. Cloud Community and Technical College for almost 10 years. I serve on numerous area boards, including The St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce; St. Cloud Mayor’s Downtown Task Force, which is working to revitalize the city’s downtown and bring new businesses to the region; Central Minnesota Community Foundation; and Anna Marie’s Alliance. I am confident in my ability to continue to help create a St. Cloud where everyone thrives. As a resident of St. Cloud, to the best of my knowledge, no prospective city council members have ever knocked on my door. At times, I have become disheartened at the level of disengagement our democratically-chosen leaders have with their constituents. If elected, I will invite St. Cloud residents to express themselves, sharing their concerns openly, during regularly scheduled town-hall meetings. In addition, I consistently will hold office hours and provide my personal cell phone number to our citizens so they may access me directly. After knocking on almost 2,500 doors prior to the primary, I talked to many people and listened to their stories, their struggles, their concerns, their aspirations, their dreams. As with everything I’ve learned in life, both individual and collective improvement relies on the quality of our relationships. Regardless of the results of this upcoming election, I am honored and blessed for the opportunity to meet those who opened their door to me and know them as people first.

As a result of this effort, my circle of connection has exponentially expanded. Today, I have new neighbors, friends, and colleagues who I have personally invited to join a new coalition of citizens working together to make St. Cloud a safer, more inclusive, supportive city. As I canvass new neighborhoods in preparation of the upcoming election, that circle grows, widening with the knowledge that, at the heart of life, is the heart itself. The connections we make with each other make us who we are (and will be), which requires us to be vulnerable. While letting down our guard is a choice in how we want to live, we engender vulnerability by earning their trust, which emerges through the way we treat others. To me, that is the key ingredient to leadership. The people I have had the good fortune to meet want council members who show-up for them when showing-up matters most. Whether they are aware of it or not, I strive to represent the best interests for all people at all times. As idealistic and ambitious as that may read, why shouldn’t we aim to be the best, to deliver the best results? That’s what community is about to me, how I have done my best to build it over the past 19 years, and how I intend to continue building it if elected as an at-large city council member.