Like many Arlingtonians, I grew up elsewhere. I moved around a lot as a child in a military family, but always tried to plant my roots wherever we made our home. After graduating from James Madison University in 2001, I moved to Arlington and it became my true home. And, as I have in every place, I have lived my passion for community and public service throughout my more than 15 years as an Arlingtonian. My Dad was in the Coast Guard and our family went wherever he was posted. I’m grateful for the opportunity that our travels provided me; I experienced many schools and met people from all over the country with diverse backgrounds and customs. Throughout my childhood, I participated in competitive gymnastics and community service, like the Key Club, both of which helped me find a connection to my new communities. When I enrolled at JMU, I began in the Athletic Training and Pre-Physical Therapy Program, and ultimately graduated with a B.S. in health administration and a minor in business. Throughout my time at JMU, I participated in club gymnastics, soccer, lacrosse; was active in Eta Sigma Gamma; and volunteered at one of the local nursing homes. Giving time to community service causes during college was an important outlet for me and I knew that wherever I ended up after leaving JMU, I would want to settle in a place where there were many opportunities to give back to my community. During the summer of 2001, I moved to Arlington’s Cherrydale neighborhood. One of the reasons I chose to live in Arlington is because there was a strong network of JMU alumni living here and I knew they would help me get settled in quickly. My career at the time, assisting hospitals design electronic records systems to improve patient care and reduced cost, required me to travel a lot. Despite the travel, I still made it a priority to become involved and to put down roots in my new community. When I wasn’t travelling, I spent my time volunteering with a Head Start program in Ballston. In late 2004 I made a career change and took a position at the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Also that year, having been a former Key Clubber, I made it a priority to join the Arlington Kiwanis Club. The Arlington Kiwanis chapter immediately welcomed me and introduced me to so many other opportunities for community service in Arlington. One such opportunity was the the Leadership Arlington Signature program, into which I was accepted in November 2004. Community service has always been important to me, but I have also been drawn to the importance of public service. I am grateful to have been given the opportunity to chair the Arlington Emergency Preparedness Advisory Commission where I have gained valuable hand-on experience working with our first responders. Whether serving as the current president of the Leeway-Overlee Civic Association, volunteering with Head Start at Taylor Elementary, or being an EMT with the Falls Church Volunteer Fire Department, I have made service to others a priority in my life. These experiences coupled with my professional background in Health IT have prepared me well to be a thoughtful and forward thinking member of the County Board. During the course of this campaign, I will be focusing on three key areas:
-Public Safety (EMS, fire, and police)
-Protecting Arlington’s Diversity (Cultural, Age, and Economic)
-Preparing Arlington for the future (Efficient and effective government, staying competitive for business, and collaborating with neighboring jurisdictions).
Like many Arlingtonians, I grew up elsewhere. I moved around a lot as a child in a military family, but always tried to plant my roots wherever we made our home. After graduating from James Madison University in 2001, I moved to Arlington and it became my true home. And, as I have in every place, I have lived my passion for community and public service throughout my more than 15 years as an Arlingtonian. My Dad was in the Coast Guard and our family went wherever he was posted. I’m grateful for the opportunity that our travels provided me; I experienced many schools and met people from all over the country with diverse backgrounds and customs. Throughout my childhood, I participated in competitive gymnastics and community service, like the Key Club, both of which helped me find a connection to my new communities. When I enrolled at JMU, I began in the Athletic Training and Pre-Physical Therapy Program, and ultimately graduated with a B.S. in health administration and a minor in business. Throughout my time at JMU, I participated in club gymnastics, soccer, lacrosse; was active in Eta Sigma Gamma; and volunteered at one of the local nursing homes. Giving time to community service causes during college was an important outlet for me and I knew that wherever I ended up after leaving JMU, I would want to settle in a place where there were many opportunities to give back to my community. During the summer of 2001, I moved to Arlington’s Cherrydale neighborhood. One of the reasons I chose to live in Arlington is because there was a strong network of JMU alumni living here and I knew they would help me get settled in quickly. My career at the time, assisting hospitals design electronic records systems to improve patient care and reduced cost, required me to travel a lot. Despite the travel, I still made it a priority to become involved and to put down roots in my new community. When I wasn’t travelling, I spent my time volunteering with a Head Start program in Ballston. In late 2004 I made a career change and took a position at the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Also that year, having been a former Key Clubber, I made it a priority to join the Arlington Kiwanis Club. The Arlington Kiwanis chapter immediately welcomed me and introduced me to so many other opportunities for community service in Arlington. One such opportunity was the the Leadership Arlington Signature program, into which I was accepted in November 2004. Community service has always been important to me, but I have also been drawn to the importance of public service. I am grateful to have been given the opportunity to chair the Arlington Emergency Preparedness Advisory Commission where I have gained valuable hand-on experience working with our first responders. Whether serving as the current president of the Leeway-Overlee Civic Association, volunteering with Head Start at Taylor Elementary, or being an EMT with the Falls Church Volunteer Fire Department, I have made service to others a priority in my life. These experiences coupled with my professional background in Health IT have prepared me well to be a thoughtful and forward thinking member of the County Board. During the course of this campaign, I will be focusing on three key areas:
-Public Safety (EMS, fire, and police)
-Protecting Arlington’s Diversity (Cultural, Age, and Economic)
-Preparing Arlington for the future (Efficient and effective government, staying competitive for business, and collaborating with neighboring jurisdictions).
