1. What inspired you to run for a position on the Parks and Recreation Board of Directors?
As a child growing up in Hood River County, youth recreation offerings and our local trails changed the trajectory of my life. Community education showed me I could be an athlete and our trails inspired me to run. I became a Cross Country State Champion for HRVHS and a Division I athlete at Cornell University. Now, as an adult and mom, I want to help HRVP&R continue the good work they’ve done over the decades and contribute my skills to help solve the complex questions ahead.
2. What do you hope to bring to the Board of Directors?
A passion for healthy outlets, especially those that can become lifelong habits (like swimming and hiking). And an understanding of the importance of all people having access to sports and fitness in childhood.
 Experience working with diverse stakeholders and finding solutions we can come together around.
Analytical skills — an ability to understand complex budgets and ask informed questions; experience collecting and analyzing data to help ensure we are understanding the community’s opinions.
The experience being a local who understands the nuances of our county, while also having gained insights from living and working in other places.
3. What do you believe are the biggest issues faced by the parks district and how do you plan to tackle these issues?
Public pool replacement: I will analyze all the work done to date and seek additional insights if the data collected isn’t representative of our diverse community. I will then advocate for an option that matches the public’s desire and is financially feasible.
2. Sustainable funding: Build on the years of work already done on this topic and bring a solution to the voters.
3. Successful transition of HRCSD Community Education Recreation offerings (sports, camps) to Parks and Rec: I will work with staff and the board to identify highest priority programming; analyze pricing to balance affordability with sustainability and make programming more accessible.
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