How long have you lived in this district and what do you do for a living? You may also include information here on your family, if you’d like.
I was born and raised in Shipshewana, Indiana and have lived in Monroe County since 2009. My husband Josh and I have three children Ivy, 7, Eden, 5, and Oakley, 3. I grew up in a rural town and in the Mennonite church. I was taught at an early age that individual prosperity and achievement was made possible because of the joint efforts of many. One man’s barn was due to the contributions of a whole lot of folks. Growing up I watched my grandparents and then my parents run our family-owned gas station. Both my maternal and paternal grandparents were educated through the 8th grade. My parents were both given the opportunity to finish high school. Dad always wanted to be a math teacher. Yet he felt compelled as the eldest son to help my grandparents run the station and take over the family business. I watched my grandmother, along with my dad and grandpa, get broken cars running again. When the gas crisis and recession of the early 1980s hit, my parents were forced to close the doors. I watched my parents work hard to find another way to make a living. A generous man in our church offered my dad his small insurance agency, because this wonderful man had a lucrative and successful business running the town sale barn. My dad worked hard to earn his insurance license and took over that business. My mom simply and beautifully wanted to be a wife and mother. Yet she has always worked outside the home to help make ends meet. However, what’s great about my mom is if you ask her, “What do you do?” my mom will say she is a wife and mother and, now, a grandma. I, too, am a wife and mom. I also work in Graduate Career Services at Kelley School of Business on the campus of Indiana University, where I help graduates find jobs. Along with my husband and kids we are members of First United Church, U.C.C. in Bloomington.
Other than politics, what are some examples of your public service work?
I have worked in non-profit executive management for over 15 years. My work has focused primarily on gaining access to physical and mental health services and educational opportunities for those in need. I began working on these issues in 1992 as Miss Indiana, where I traveled to all 92 Indiana counties to address the need for improvements in health and education. In the mid-1990s I worked in economic and downtown development in the city of South Bend during the days when Joe Kernan, who would later become Governor, was the Mayor. At that time, I was pursuing my Masters degree in Counseling and Human Services from IUSB and would eventually take a job directing a home for pregnant and homeless teens. I later attended Vanderbilt University and earned my Masters of Divinity degree and would go on to lead a statewide coalition addressing the full spectrum of issues and needs related to eating disorders. In this position as Executive Director, I had full responsibility over all aspects of running the organization: managing the budget, recruiting employees and volunteers, networking with government and private partnerships, and achieving results. I was recognized in 2008 by the Nashville (TN) Business Journal with their “Women of Influence” Award. Currently, I am a career advisor and job coach for students at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business where my job is to help leaders of tomorrow find jobs today.
Is this your first attempt at running for elected office? If not, what made you decide to run before? What made you decide to run this time, and what do you hope to accomplish if elected?
This is my first run for political office. I decided to run because working families are being left out of the conversation in Washington. As a result, we have an agenda coming out of Congress that is anti-worker, anti-women, and anti-middle class families. This direction is bad for our 9th District and for our country. I want a better future for my kids– all our kids. This better future includes a renewed vision of America that is grounded in the reality that we are all in this together. As your Congresswoman I will work tirelessly to pass a budget that is responsible and fair and does not place the burden of economic recovery on the backs of working families and the middle class. I will work overtime to bring investments in civic and economic infrastructure to the 9th District – including improvements to our educational system, the transportation system, and technology systems (including better Internet access). And I will work to access Federal money for the 9th District to create sustainable, green jobs that pay a wage that is fair and just and contributes to the overall health and well-being of our communities.
What do you think makes you the best choice for voters?
I bring a fresh perspective as someone who grew-up in a small Indiana town, and in a family that has had to start over and work hard to make ends meet. I have professional training and a proven track record of turning people’s lives around for the better, building community, and approaching conflict and seemingly “dead ends” with well-informed sensitivity, direct and assertive communication, and empowering leadership. I have spent the last twenty years working to make a difference in the lives of those who needed a little extra help to get back on their feet and keep moving forward. I would bring that life experience and training, as well as a deeply held personal commitment to Hoosier values, to Congress on behalf of the 9th District.
“Get to know the Candidates Questionnaire” from Orange County Publishing in Paoli
