I consider myself a self-made woman.

I started my life in Minot, North Dakota. While my home was one of some love and kindness, it was also fraught with abuse, alcoholism, and racism. Being a woman of strength, I moved out at age 18. I worked many different jobs from truck stop waitress to dental assistant. I put myself through 6 years of college, working up to 3 jobs at a time. I also utilized available grants and loans. I’m proud to say that I paid off every penny I borrowed, even the small frequent loans from my beloved aunt, Peggy.

I graduated from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis in 1982 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree (BA) in psychology and a Bachelor of Science (BS) in nursing. As I was about to graduate from college, I attended a dinner provided by a United States Air Force (USAF) recruiter. I decided to raise my right hand and take my oath. Although I planned on 3 years of service, I had an outstanding 20-year experience in the Air Force.  During my service, I completed a 2-year women’s health nurse practitioner (WHNP) course and obtained a Master of Science degree (MS) in 1997 at the University of California, San Francisco.

Upon retirement from the military, I was able to secure an excellent position with Kaiser-Permanente (KP), the largest Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) in the United States. I worked for them for 11 years, during which time, I was an active proud member of a nursing union. While working at KP, I also worked intermittently for a feminist clinic, called Women’s Health Specialists (like Planned Parenthood), providing needed healthcare to the less privileged population.

I retired completely in 2019 and moved to Arizona. I love the sunshine, warmth, and beautiful desert scenery here. Since living in Arizona, I have become very involved in local and state politics.

I have been working closely with the Pinal County Democratic Party (PCDP) as a Precinct Committeeperson (PC) and a State Committee Member (SCM). I have also been working for 2 years at the Pinal County Early Voting Office as a signature verifier. My experience in this system has reinforced my belief and trust in our state’s sound, fair, nonpartisan voting process.

I began my work with the PCDP by canvassing my local area providing reassurance and resources to Democratic residents. During this time, I started an unofficial club called “Dems-n-Dogs.” It originally included a small group of Democrats and left-leaning independents who loved dogs. The sole purpose of this club is and always has been to provide a comfortable safe space in my home for my like-minded neighbors and friends to discuss important political issues. It has blossomed over the past two years, often having up to 36 attendees. I routinely have speakers at my get-togethers, including candidates for local and state positions. The feedback from attendees has been extremely positive.

I plan to work as diligently as a State Representative as I have in the past in both the military and medical fields. I have a proven history of service before self and have the solid core values of honesty, integrity, respect, and empathy. These values are critical building blocks of a political platform that works for all the people of Arizona.