I moved to Utah 7 years ago - it is my chosen home. I am awed daily by the natural beauty that surrounds us in Cache Valley. I have experienced the immense generosity of my neighborhood - from people willing to lend a hand unloading the moving truck to neighbors checking in when they don't see us on a dog walk in a while, to a neighbor clearing the snow from the sidewalk for all of us. It has warmed my heart after years in a large city surrounded by concrete instead of trees and in the midst of millions of people, but still feeling alone.

Despite these joys, I have experienced the frustrations that I know many of you also feel. The increasing cost of living with no end in sight, the rapid loss of our open and wild spaces, and leadership that does not seem to listen. It feels like they talk at us, not with us. Being elected does not automatically make you an expert in every topic. It makes you a public servant. The first thing you should do is listen.

Daily, it feels like we are hearing about another closed door meeting resulting in major changes to our state and our valley. Our representation increasingly tries to take decisions away from us or find ways to avoid implementing the changes voters have approved. I have dedicated my life to community service that listens to those being served first and that is why I am running - to hear you, to represent your needs and concerns, and to keep Cache Valley and Utah the beautiful, awe-inspiring place we all love.

Politics are permeating all parts of our lives. We focus on what divides us and have lost the "ties that bind us." We have more in common than we realize. I am blessed to live in Cache Valley and will bring leadership that listens, cares, and respects all those who live here. I invite you to join my campaign to build community, to change how we see each other, and return our government to the public service it is supposed to be.