Issues

Jobs—

We are in a workforce crisis.  There are not enough skilled workers and the pandemic has expedited our workforce shortage by prompting an early retirement for many. I sit on the Anoka County Workforce Development Board where representatives from the education, financial, trades and entrepreneurial sectors work towards filling our pipelines and creating better opportunities for underserved populations.   

We need to fulfill crucial jobs in construction, plumbing, manufacturing and other specialty trades. I continue to advocate for:

• Supporting the trades industries
• Promoting our community and technical colleges
• Advance good-paying trade professions in Anoka County

Human Services/Public Safety—

These issues have touched nearly everyone in Anoka County.  They are complicated problems that will need long-term advocacy and focus to find efficient and accessible solutions. 

I have served on the Human Services Committee and Metropolitan Emergency Services Board for the past three years. I continue to work on:

• Tackling the opioid crisis through policy, resources, and awareness
• Promoting our mental health services, including incorporating them in our correction and jail facilities
• Voting to contract street outreach social workers to engage with our homeless community

Community Development—

I’ve spent over a decade cultivating a diverse network and I’ve proven my ability to identify problems, and solve them by collaborating with public and private sectors for the best solutions to benefit our community. This continues to be a driver for all the work I do on your behalf.

Community development to me, means:

• Safe and functioning roads, trails and parks
• Up to code and 21st-Century-Ready public buildings spaces
• Access to broadband connectivity 
• Promoting open dialogue and engagement with diverse communities