I am an Oregonian born and raised. Though I’m originally from McMinnville, I have lived in Washington County for four years. Growing up in McMinnville, community was at the center of the life my family had built. My father, Marty, was a public school educator and administrator while my mother, Debbie, worked for the City of McMinnville. Our family was heavily involved in our church, school, and city communities. 

My parents had moved to Oregon in the ‘80s with the hope of opportunity for their two children, soon to become five over the years. We were encouraged to take advantage of every opportunity our city had to offer. I spent my childhood heavily involved in the park systems in our city. I played baseball, swam, or often spent the day at the park with my siblings and cousins. As active park and recreation department users, my siblings and I developed relationships with the outdoors, being active, and building community that would not have been possible without the services our city had made available to us.

I want to play a part in maintaining and building the services we use now in our home city of Beaverton and will continue to use in the future as members of the Tualatin Hills Park and Recreation District. The experiences I have with park and recreation departments have been invaluable, as I know it is invaluable to the experience of so many in our community. It will be an honor to partner in the work of making sure more folks can make similar experiences of their own with the THPRD.