With great joy and excitement, I share with you that I am running for Polk County Commissioner, District 1, Mr. George Lindsey’s Seat he faithfully served for the last twelve years. I am thankful for his service and legacy to our County and pray that I can continue the mission: to serve and honor the good, hard-working people of Polk County. I want to introduce myself to you through this letter, hoping it is the beginning of a deeper connection. 

My life background, experiences, and rich opportunities have placed me on the campaign trail. Born and raised in Lakeland, I was raised all over Polk County. My Grandparents would take me to Cypress Gardens to ride in the paddle boats, Bok Tower was a regular place that my family would visit, the Lake Wales Passion Play was a favorite, and I was blessed to have been a Lazy W Camper in Lake Alfred for five years. Polk County is my home. I love our County and look forward to serving, leading, and protecting our resources while helping grow our ever-expanding economy.  Polk County is unique. I am proud of our County.

My experience in public service stemmed from high school and college student government, then working as a Staff Assistant for Rep. Adam H. Putnam in Washington, D.C, immediately after graduating from Florida Southern College in 2001. 

In February of 2002, I was fortunate to interview and get the position of Public Affairs Director for the Lakeland Area Chamber of Commerce. I was coming back home!  I was involved in many aspects of local government. My job was to observe and learn from the Polk County Board of County Commission and Lakeland City Commission meetings.  I was the staff person in charge of organizing political committees such as the Government Affairs Committee, the Lakeland Chamber political action committee, BusinessVoice, Inc., and helping with the success of the Citizens for Quality Education campaign to have an appointed school district superintendent rather than elected.

I loved what I was doing at the Chamber. Still, I felt a pull on my heart to follow my childhood calling to serve the church. I loved public service, so I put a pin in that passion to pursue my ordination as a pastor in the United Methodist Church.  I applied, was accepted, and headed off to Durham, North Carolina, to attend Duke University Divinity School in the summer of 2003, graduating in 2006  with my Master’s of Divinity degree.  I met my husband, Ed, also a United Methodist pastor, one week after arriving in Durham.  Our wedding was the following summer, July 31, 2004.   My husband and I served churches in North Carolina for ten years and learned so much, but my heart yearned for Polk County.  Fortunately, we had the opportunity to return home to Lakeland in 2013 so that my husband could serve as one of the pastors at First United Methodist Church, Lakeland, my home church.  I began serving as the Children’s Minister for First UMC, Lakeland, in October of that year.

One day, I opened my laptop to explore jobs and found an opening for an Archivist serving the United Methodist Church in Florida. I jumped at this chance to apply, interview, be offered the job, and I now gladly serve in this capacity. I knew I needed more education, so I returned to school for two years to get my Master’s of Library Science from Lousiana State University. Working with and serving the incredible Methodist churches of Florida from Apalachicola to Key West is a great privilege.

In September of this year, I briefly returned to Washington, D.C., to study at the Library of Congress, the most extensive library in the world.  I knew the nooks and crannies of the Hill, visited the Supreme Court, and, of course, had to stop by the Florida House, the only U.S. State Embassy. After returning home from D.C., I felt a rekindled fire in my heart to actively pursue public service as a County Commissioner.  A week later, after talking to friends I admire and trust a week later, I filed to run for the seat and have not looked back.  Each day, I work hard to use my time wisely to balance family, life, and work while pursuing this childhood passion of mine to serve the public.

Since filing for the election, I have enjoyed getting around our beautiful County, meeting as many people as possible while learning about the 17 municipalities that make up our County.   The issues that need addressing are vast and widespread. Polk County is dealing with unprecedented challenges on many levels due to the extreme population growth, pressure on natural resources, infrastructure issues, and road and transportation realities that come with population growth.  We cannot stop progress, and we should welcome it as this will grow our business community and economy.  However, we must pay attention to how we do this while holding fast to Polk County's uniqueness through its natural beauty and land.  My goals will be balancing progress with preservation, careful, thoughtful approaches to decision-making, always keeping an open mind, an honest heart, and a passion to serve.  I am a “what-you-see-is- what-you-get” type of person.  I am honest and trustworthy.