Title: Town Council Member

Municipality: Town of Oak Ridge

Position Interested In: Second Vice President

Position Interested In: At Large - Elected Official

Q&A's:

Tell us why you would like to serve in a leadership position at the League. In particular, specify goals you would like to accomplish as an officer or board member and indicate how, if attained, they will help to achieve Vision 2030 – the League’s future vision of how cities and towns will operate in 2030?

I'm applying to continue serving on the League's board because I believe I can make a real difference in serving our state's towns and cities. As a one-year Presidential Appointment, following two years’ service on the Mayors Association board, I’ve already been able to participate in this effort. Over the next two years, as Second Vice President or an At Large member, I will be able to deepen my contributions to the League’s work in realizing its Vision 2030.

My ability to help lead the League’s board is grounded in my municipal and professional experience. Starting as a volunteer who soon began chairing town committees, I saw the need for more energetic leadership on our Town Council. As a result, I ran for office in 2017 and 2021; in 2019, I was elected by Council to serve as the town’s first female Mayor, a position I held until 2024, when I stepped down to serve again as a councilmember. Regardless of title, I’ve always been a leader – something that came naturally following many years of volunteer leadership and consulting for non-profits.

In each of these spheres, my ability to collaborate, encourage, and build consensus with those I work with has been key. For me, this is the heart of leadership: to meet people where they are, and to find creative and strategic ways to move forward on THEIR priorities, whether in the areas of programs and policies, or budgets and operations. I’ve found that this kind of healthy collaboration is essential to the future of our towns and organizations. It’s also essential to the board’s work in helping the League better understand and serve the many needs of our towns and cities.

For example, collaboration and consensus-building were key to the work of the Legislative Policy Committee, which I served on this past year. After gathering diverse input from a wide range of town leaders and staff, the Committee sifted and shaped that input into a series of draft goals that led to the now-approved 2025/26 Legislative Goals. Broad input and collaboration – with great guidance from League staff – made consensus possible.

On another front, the Board’s ongoing input on League operations provides opportunities for collaboration with staff and fellow board members. Of particular interest to me are the questions surrounding the League’s future property decisions, as discussed at our last board meeting. I’m also interested in continuing my involvement in the League’s legislative advocacy efforts, and helping shape its professional development and grant programs.

My support for League offerings will continue to complement my role as an active ambassador, committed to sharing information about the League’s offerings with other leaders. My conversations with these leaders, whether local or from across the state, have confirmed the relevance of the League’s Vision 2030 goals. Because Vision 2030 articulates the key challenges faced by our cities and towns, it will remain central to my board service.

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Tell us about your experience as a municipal official. You may want to include information on your service on the municipal governing body, other related boards and special areas of interest?

I’ve served 7 years on the Oak Ridge Town Council, including 4 years as mayor (2019-2023); I’m now nearing the end of my second 4-year term. I ran for Council in 2017 and again in 2021, garnering the highest number of votes in both elections. Despite being one of the newer members of Council, I was elected by Council to serve as its first female mayor in 2019, following the previous mayor’s decision to step down; more recently, I stepped down from the mayorship at the end of 2023.

My interest in serving on Town Council grew out of my experience as chair of our Historic Preservation Commission, a quasi-judicial body that oversees changes in our town’s Historic District. I later created the Historic Heritage Grant program to draw attention to the value of our district and which continues to fund small-scale, high-impact matching grants to preserve historic properties. I also chaired the town’s Future Land Use Planning Committee, which succeeded in making updates to our Land Use Plan that allow higher densities in our town core. Through this work, I realized that my commitment to fresh ideas, sound policy, and planning for the future might make me an effective councilmember.

Shortly after being elected to Council, I spearheaded the town’s first strategic plan, which continues to guide our town’s ambitious agenda. I also helped increase communication with residents about our progress. Through my state and county relationships, I built trust in what Oak Ridge could do and secured over $11M in funding for key projects, including a second town park and site to honor veterans. We recently celebrated the groundbreaking for our water tower – the beginning of our first municipal water system – and are about to bid out construction of the Phase I water main. We’re also nearing completion of the renovation of a historic town-owned tenant farmhouse that will serve as a new community center and indoor rental space.

In short, I have been extremely active and engaged in projects of all kinds in Oak Ridge. I’ve prioritized collaborative relationships with fellow council members and staff, as well with as our 12 resident-led committees. Although there have been challenges, my local work has been incredibly fulfilling and an ongoing learning experience. I would welcome the opportunity to continue putting what I’ve learned, both in my town service and in my professional life, to use in serving other towns and cities across North Carolina through service on the League’s board.

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Tell us about your educational background, professional experience, and/or community or civic activities?

I hold a BA in English from Lawrence University in Wisconsin and an MA in English from the University of Chicago. I later attended the San Francisco Art Institute for just over a year and worked as an artist for many years. My love of art led me to a position at the Getty Foundation, part of the J. Paul Getty Trust in Los Angeles. Within a few years, I rose to a senior staff position, as the Foundation’s budget and staff underwent rapid growth and it became one of the world’s largest arts funders. The breadth of my responsibilities – including grant management, communications, technology, legal issues, policy development, and budget management – eventually prepared me to step out on my own as a management consultant for nonprofits, initially in southern California, and later in North Carolina following our move to Oak Ridge in 2008. Many of the projects I’ve taken on have involved strategic planning and complex policy issues, necessitating strong relationships and collaboration with staff at all levels.

In 2022, I had the pleasure of serving as a Hunt State Policy Fellow focusing on education issues in our state. Locally, I’ve served on the boards of area nonprofits, including the Merchants of Oak Ridge, the Oak Ridge Lions Club, and Parent Teacher Organizations (PTOs) at every level. I’m also an active member of the NW Guilford Woman’s Club (local branch of a national service club), and a choir member and kids Sunday School teacher at our local Methodist church.

I’ve found that much of my professional and volunteer experience is directly transferable to municipal governance. For example, the knowledge of architectural conservation issues I gained at the Getty became important to my work in Oak Ridge, where preserving our historic and rural roots in the face of development pressures remains a priority. More broadly, my experience in strategic planning, communications, policy development, and budget work have been key to my leadership on Town Council. The success of my town work has, in turn, informed my service to both the Mayors Association board and the League’s Board of Directors. I’m confident that I can continue to put my collaborative and ambitious leadership style to work in service of our towns and cities.

Have You Participated in Any NCLM Events or Committees? 

• CityVision Annual Conference

• Town & State Dinner or Town Hall Days

• Legislative Goals Planning Events or Process

• Meetings with area Town Councils to share information about League offerings

• Legislative Policy Committee

• Mayors Association - former member and board member

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Please provide any other information you would like the Nominations Committee to consider.

I'm grateful for your consideration of my application, and for your service on the Nominations Committee. I look forward to speaking with you on April 10.