What about you and your background makes you the best candidate for this office?
I am a fourth-generation West Virginian, a wife, a mother of twins, and the first person in my family to graduate from college, earning an MBA. Professionally, I serve as the Executive Director of a nonprofit that helps individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities live independently. My career has been built around solving problems, managing budgets, advocating for vulnerable populations, and bringing people together to improve our communities.
I am running because I believe West Virginians deserve honest, transparent leadership that puts people ahead of politics. I don’t believe in backroom deals or government operating without accountability. I believe in listening to constituents, being accessible, and making decisions based on facts, common sense, and the long-term interests of our communities.
What are the top three statewide issues you see for West Virginians at this time?
1. Strengthening Public Education
West Virginia must invest in public schools, support teachers and service personnel, expand career and technical education, and ensure every child—regardless of ZIP code—has access to a quality education.
2. Economic Opportunity and Workforce Development
We need to create good-paying jobs that allow families to stay in West Virginia. That means supporting small businesses, encouraging entrepreneurship, investing in workforce training, and attracting industries that create sustainable careers while respecting our communities.
3. Government Transparency and Accountability
West Virginians deserve a government that works for them—not special interests. I support greater transparency in government decisions, stronger ethics, and ensuring taxpayers have a voice in policies that affect their communities.
What are the top three issues you see for constituents residing within the district you are seeking to represent?
1. Protecting Public Education
Families want strong neighborhood schools that prepare students for college, careers, and skilled trades. Our schools deserve stable funding and support.
2. Responsible Economic Development
Economic growth should benefit local residents, protect property rights, and include meaningful community input. Development should improve our quality of life—not diminish it.
3. Infrastructure and Public Safety
Our district needs reliable roads, bridges, broadband, emergency services, and utilities. These investments are essential for attracting businesses, supporting families, and keeping our communities safe.
What is your position on data centers being built in our state?
I support economic development that benefits West Virginians, but I believe large-scale data center projects should meet high standards before receiving public support. Communities deserve transparency about energy use, water consumption, environmental impacts, tax incentives, and long-term economic benefits.
Development should include meaningful local input and should not come at the expense of reliable utility service, property rights, or public resources. West Virginia can welcome innovation while ensuring projects are accountable and provide lasting benefits to the people who live here.
How do you intend to better serve the education system for children in our state if elected?
Education is one of the best investments we can make in West Virginia’s future. I will advocate for competitive teacher and service personnel pay, safe and modern school facilities, expanded career and technical education, strong special education services, and improved access to mental health resources for students.
I also believe we must ensure public education remains adequately funded so every child has the opportunity to succeed, regardless of where they live. Supporting our educators and students strengthens our workforce and our communities.
What is your vision to increase family incomes and opportunity, raise the quality of life, and to make Wood County an area that families want to call home?
My vision is to make Wood County a place where families can build a future without having to leave to find opportunity. That means attracting employers that provide good-paying jobs, supporting locally owned small businesses, investing in workforce development, improving infrastructure, expanding affordable housing options, and ensuring access to quality healthcare and childcare.
I also believe quality of life depends on trust in government. By promoting transparency, supporting public safety, protecting our natural resources, and investing in parks, recreation, and our downtowns, we can create communities where businesses want to invest and families want to stay. My goal is to leave the next generation with a stronger, more prosperous Wood County than the one we inherited.