I grew up in rural Michigan where my mother was a teacher, a small business owner, an advocate for quality rural schools and public libraries, a Sunday school teacher, and a church pianist and organist. My father was a pharmacist, a small business owner, a hunter, a fisherman, and a county commissioner. One set of my grandparents were farmers; my other grandparents owned a small pharmacy.
I learned the values of hard work, independence, and personal responsibility from their heritage and understand the value of healthy communities, land stewardship, and family that are important to people in Cache and Rich counties. I moved west in the 1977 and have lived in Arizona, Idaho, and Utah, and have also worked in Colorado, Wyoming, Oregon, Washington, Montana, and Alaska. Utah has been my home since 2011. My experience working with people from across political, state, and social boundaries will help me advocate for the unique needs of northern Utah. I am a mother, a grandmother, an educator and a scientist. I am currently a professor in Utah State University's Department of Biology and have managed large university projects and programs that require prioritizing and balancing competing interests and finances. I have experience working together to understand and find creative solutions to difficult, often contentious, problems. My experience communicating complex topics to citizens and decision-makers will serve the people of Cache and Rich counties well at the Utah legislature. |