Where are you from and what is your background?
I have a Bachelor of Arts in English and Mass Communications. Professionally, I have more than two decades of experience as a broadcaster in both the US and Canada. I have experience running my own voiceover business. I am a proud member of the Valley Women’s Business Network.

I am a Director and sole nominee for Vice-Chair of the Kings County Family Resource Centre (KCFRC) Board of Directors and I am on the KCFRC Policy Advisory Committee. I give time and energy to Evangeline Middle School PTA, Kings County Academy PTA, and I recently joined the New Minas Elementary School Advisory Council. I always look forward to any chance I get to volunteer with the ladies of the Annapolis Valley Frugal Moms. It is an honour and a privilege to be a member of the New Minas Volunteer Fire Department Auxiliary. I am also in training with Orchard Valley United Church to participate in their homeless outreach program.

Why have you chosen to run for office?
I love my community. As a former military brat, I grew up being used to moving every 2 to 3 years. I have lived in Japan, Korea, all over the US, and eastern Ontario. I can say without a doubt, that New Minas is by far the best place I have ever been able to call home. Yes, there is the beautiful landscape, great weather (trust me, when you’ve lived in places like Ottawa and Syracuse, the weather here is amazing), and world-class produce. While all of that is spectacular in and of it itself it misses the most precious feature of our valley: the people who live here. The kind, honest, hard-working folks of this region are what makes Kings County so special and worth preserving. I can honestly say that I don’t ever plan on leaving Kings County. I chose to run for office because I want to give back to a community that has given so much to me and my family.

What strengths would you bring to Council if elected?
I am a facilitator and a communicator. I know how to talk but more importantly, I know how to ask questions, and how to listen. I believe in cooperation and common ground: I have a proven track record of working with anyone who is interested in making our district, and our county, continue to be the best place in the world to live, grow, and prosper.

My biggest strength is I am a political outsider. I don’t carry any baggage: I am not interested in or involved in past political squabbles. I have no partisan affiliation. I have no corporate or interest group sponsorship. I am truly independent. I wholeheartedly reject the notion that that to be qualified to hold office you must have insider connections, privileged access, and deep pockets. I think those ideas are dated and hold us back. We are capable of so much more with an injection of new blood, new ideas, and new faces who are there for the right reasons.

What do you feel are key issues in this election and how would you address them?
1. Growth – just like the rest of the province, New Minas and Greenwich will continue to grow. As a county, we can take immediate and concrete steps to facilitate housing development and increase the supply of good, well-built homes available for purchase or rent. While the principles and goals espoused in the 2024-2027 MOK Economic Development Strategy are a good start; I have spoken to enough developers and seen enough stalled development in our district to realise that there is still work to be done. The Municipality must be a facilitator for development, not a gatekeeper.

To be clear, I am not saying that we throw the baby out with the bathwater and start building willy-nilly. That said, the time it takes for development to go from concept to completion in Kings County is far too long. We can continue to review and make practical changes to our zoning, permit issuing, inspection, and deed transfer processes that will continue to ensure safe and secure buildings, while protecting our environment, maintaining the character of our neighbourhoods, and preserving agricultural land.

Furthermore, I commit to you that I will be a tireless advocate, seeking out federal and provincial officials to ensure that we get proper support for infrastructure expansion to serve new growth.

2. Critical Infrastructure – In many parts of the county, our critical infrastructure (water and sewer) is rapidly approaching the end of its life cycle. If we want to avoid some of the pitfalls we have seen in other jurisdictions, especially when considering growth and climate change, we must ensure we are properly maintaining, upgrading, and replacing our aging infrastructure. The 2021-2024 MOK Strategic Plan was a good start but now, more than ever, we need a thorough and detailed review of municipally operated and planned utilities to ensure that our existing plans are sufficient and properly funded.

Even if we do our part to properly support infrastructure maintenance and renewal, we must also engage our provincial and federal partners to make sure that we have access to programs, grants, and funding for these critical services.

3. Responsible Spending – A key role of Council is stewardship of our tax dollars. With so many people in our community struggling to make ends meet, and a budget of over $100M, our Council must take the necessary steps to ensure that we are (1) spending wisely and (2) easing the tax burden on our most vulnerable. Several years of steady inflation and lack of affordable housing options have pushed too many of our friends and neighbours into precarious financial situations. A slight bump to the property tax relief program isn’t going to cut it.

To that end, I call on our incoming Council to initiate a thorough review and assessment of County programs and services to ensure they are still relevant and utilized, meeting their objectives, and doing so in a cost-effective way. By the same token, I will propose that Council considers a broad range of changes to current taxation models and identify alternative revenues, to ease our reliance on ever-rising property tax rates.

We need to have a mature, open, and frank discussion about how to manage the public purse and do so with all options on the table.

What is one message you would like to send to voters?
I am the only candidate for District 8 that lives in the district. I think that’s important: your representative should live in your community and be accessible. You should be able to wave me down when I am walking my dogs or stop me at the grocery store. In my opinion, representing New Minas and Greenwich on Municipal Council is a full-time job that requires total dedication and involvement. It is not a side hustle to commute to from somewhere else.

I am raising a family here; we shop here; we play here; and I will grow old here. My family is invested in New Minas and Greenwich – just like yours. My focus is to ensure you, and your family, have a voice on Council that will show up, be easy to get in touch with, and will advocate on your behalf.