How I approach leadership
At my core, I’m a problem solver, a listener, and someone who shows up.
I’m willing to ask hard questions and challenge an idea. And when the facts and evidence point somewhere different, I’m willing to change my perspective. I don’t think leadership means having all the answers. I think it means doing the work to find them, and community engagement is a big part of that.
I believe decisions deserve care. Public dollars deserve respect. And when you’re trusted to make decisions on behalf of a community, you should be transparent, willing to explain those decisions, and accountable for the outcomes.
Why I’m stepping up
I’m not a politician. I have no desire to go beyond this Council table. I’m a resident, a mom, a community advocate, and someone who genuinely loves this place.
I have been standing on the side-lines watching good things stopped, mass development push into communities fighting against it, voices go unheard, and comments about climate change that are unsettling. I want to show my children and my community what it is to step up when you care about something, so here I am.
I believe deeply in what North Cowichan can be, and I’m ready to put my experience, my energy, and my willingness to do the work toward building a community forward that we are all invested in.
I’m a resident in my 40's and for the past 16 years, North Cowichan has been home. I live near Quamichan Lake, work in Chemainus, spend countless hours at Berkey’s Corner with my kids, and find my way to Maple Bay and Crofton on most weekends.
Experience built around getting things done
I’ve spent more than 22 years of professional experience in strategic planning and business growth management.
I’ve worked across a wide range of sectors, with businesses ranging from mom-and-pop shops to large industry, as well as local governments, communities, boards and committees. I’ve trained and advised clients on government structure, PR issues, strategic planning, bylaws and how to foster meaningful community engagement. My work has also covered marketing, research and oversight. I truly understand the value of long-term planning, paired with achievable short-term goals.
I also understand what local government does and how it works.
I’ve worked with city liaisons and builders on large-scale planned communities, helping build out major areas of Kanata, Barrhaven and Riverside South (large suburbs of Ottawa). That experience gave me a firsthand understanding of the importance of planning growth alongside the infrastructure and services needed to support it.
I’ve also worked with non-profits and charities including the YMCA, Habitat for Humanity and United Way. More notably, I worked with the Kool Aid Society, which opened Rock Bay Landing, a short-term and transitional housing facility that helped change the way Victoria approached homelessness. I learned an incredible amount through that work, and I believe there are lessons we can apply here.
Today, I own a consulting firm where I hand-select my clients in sectors ranging from marine to tourism. I also serve as Director of the Chemainus Business Improvement Association. And for the past 10 years, I’ve worked behind the scenes championing Cowichan.
What does all of this mean?
In short:
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I’ve spent years being the person councils and boards relied upon to educate, advise and solve problems. I am prepared to be a member of Council, and understand first hand the weight of these decisions.
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My knowledge is broad and varied. I’ve dealt with everything from infrastructure and development to business, governance, communications and community engagement.
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I understand the value of community and the weight of people’s opinions. Residents need a voice, and that voice needs to matter when decisions are being made at the Council table.
And last, but certainly not least, I care.
I want to help shape a North Cowichan that reflects what the people who live here want it to become. I am prepared to take a stand on the issues that matter to our communities, protect what makes them special, and think beyond the next four years to the generations that will come after us.
We have important decisions ahead about growth, infrastructure, our OCP, taxation, the environment and how we involve residents in those decisions. I believe we need a Council that respects the plans our community has created, takes public engagement seriously, asks tough questions and considers the long-term consequences of the decisions it makes.
I believe we can do better. And I’m prepared to do the work.
Let me show you what that looks like.