My Bio

Thank you for your interest in getting to know me!  I have been in Charlottesville since 2003 with exception to the two years I worked in Minneapolis, MN following business school.  

I was raised in Northern NY, the oldest of three sisters. My mother was an elementary school teacher in the public system for 35 years and my father spent the majority of his career in municipal government.  I earned a degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering from Virginia Tech. My first job after graduation was with IBM where I maximized efficiencies through development and improvement of manufacturing and supply chain systems and became a lead manufacturing engineer.

When I first moved to Charlottesville I put my process and continuous improvement experience to work in the clinical research industry before earning my MBA from UVA’s Darden School of Business.   During my two years in Minneapolis I worked in brand management for General Mills where I was tasked to project manage a broad cross functional team to achieve over $20MM in sustainable cost reductions not valued by our consumers.  It was also during this time that I trained for and completed two half ironman triathlons.

My husband Jon and I got married after I returned to Charlottesville and have joyfully welcomed three children into our lives and this community that we so value and love. Aubrey (7.5) is a 2nd grader at Burnely-Moran Elementary,  Warren (6) is kindergartner and Caroline (2.5) in the toddler program at the International School of Charlottesville. 

My children have reinforced my belief that we are all responsible for shaping the community they will grow up in, so I have put my personal stake into this community by working with groups who have answered the call to help all citizens.

One of the first things I took on was in support of establishing a major fundraising event for the Shelter for Help in Emergency, whose mission is to end domestic violence in our community.  I led the marketing efforts for the Charlottesville Design House from its inception through two annual events (and nearly two pregnancies!) and am so proud of what that team accomplished. Those efforts have helped sustain the Shelter’s residential facilities operations and outreach and the event is now approaching its 8th year.  

Soon after, I joined the board of the North Downtown Residents Association.  After multiple leadership positions, I now serve as President.  These roles have engaged me not only with the neighbors I represent, but also with citizen leaders and stakeholders throughout our community, including the staff and leadership of our City.   This exposure has provided me with many insights as to how Charlottesville operates and is managed.  

I am an engaged, volunteer parent at my children’s schools.  I actively participate in the Burnley-Moran PTO, and serve as the International School of Charlottesville’s Building Committee Chair while the school looks to meet the growing demand of immersion language in our community through interim and long term expansions of its early childhood education programs.  

I served as a neighborhood representative on the Belmont Bridge Steering Committee and have served on the Board of Directors of Charlottesville Tomorrow who, like me, believes that informed citizens create better communities.

There are also some personal projects I have taken on.  With the support of my neighborhood Board, I led the effort working with the City on upgrades to the playground at McGuffey Park in 2014 to better serve its smallest of visitors who come from far beyond the downtown neighborhood for outdoor play.  And, with the support of a neighbor who is also a friend, I have been driving the effort to pursue a rail to trail conversion to create a multiuse pathway that connects the growing northern trails of the City to its center along West Main.

When I reflect on these professional and personal endeavors, I am most energized by those which touch this community and have enabled me to make connections with so many passionate and talented stakeholders throughout our City and County.