Ward 4, Position 1

Personal Statement 

I’m a 5th generation Arkansan and fell in love with Fayetteville in 1979 when I came to UA to obtain an education and play tennis for the Razorbacks. Fayetteville has a wonderful cultural vibe with diverse music on Dickson St, art on the square, performances at the Walton Arts Center and Theatre Squared, and an openness to ideas that are not found in much of the rest of the state. I decided to run for city council because I am concerned that the Fayetteville I fell in love with and now live in is slipping away due to rampant development without the necessary brakes and consideration for existing neighborhoods. Historic houses dating from the 1800’s and early 1900’s have been bulldozed down without any regulation to prevent that from happening and without public comment. We need to preserve our heritage and pass an ordinance to allow a public review process before our history is destroyed. New housing also influences traffic and crime patterns.

We, as a city, need to grow consciously with intent and a vision of how we want our beautiful city to look in 20 years. The 2030 plan has very laudable goals, but the details on how we fulfill that plan need to be carefully considered and consistent. I have lived in large cities (Seattle and Washington DC) and I do not want Fayetteville to become “homogenized” to look like every other American city. I want to work to keep it “funky”, unique, and charming. Aren’t these the characteristics that make it attractive to folks who choose to live in Fayetteville?

I also decided to run because Fayetteville has become the first city in Arkansas to pledge to use 100% renewable energy by local government by 2030. But we can also expand our vision and reduce our unsustainable consumption by borrowing ideas that have worked in other cities, such as incentivizing citizens and businesses to use renewable resources and changing our habits to reduce our waste, especially plastic.

I am honored and humbled to be elected to serve the residents of Fayetteville. I will work hard to fulfill these goals and listen to the people of our city so that we can keep Fayetteville a great place to live!

Occupation and Education

• BS Zoology 1984, MA Anthropology 1989, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
• MS Fisheries Science 2000, University of Washington, Seattle
• Retired, Research Fisheries Scientist, NOAA Fisheries
• Self-employed Environmental Consultant

Personal Information

A resident of Fayetteville for over sixteen years (1979-1988, 2012-present), 15 years in Ward 4.

I live in the University Heights neighborhood with my black lab mix dog and tortoise shell colored cat. Both were rescue animals. In my free time, I like to bike, hike, kayak, make documentary films, and work with a suite of environmental groups to save the Buffalo National River and to preserve water quality in Arkansas.

Committee Involvement

• Historic District Commission 2013-2018
• Civil Rights Commission 2016-2018
• Water and Sewer Committee
• Nominating Committee
• Environmental Action Committee

My Key Issues

• Support civility and compassion for all visitors and residents
• Ensure the inclusion of all voices in our city
• Maintain established neighborhoods with similar style and size dwellings
• Institute smart, well considered zoning to reduce or eliminate spot zoning
• Incentivize citizens and businesses to use renewable energy sources and technology
• Continue to expand bike trails throughout all parts of the city
• Support and provide incentives to local businesses and start-ups
• Implement a historic district ordinance to preserve our history
• Enhance and Improve Curbside Recycling
• Increase green spaces, parks, and preserve Lewis Park
• Clean up Lake Fayetteville and make it swimmable again
• Create parkland areas to grow/glean food for the community
• Strengthen the tree preservation ordinance to prevent clear cutting
• Organize the removal and prevention of invasive plant and animal species
• Investigate the feasibility of a regional light rail system
• Work closely with the University of Arkansas to collaborate on future expansion to better manage issues associated with increased student population

Ward 4 Meeting Schedule

Ward 4 meetings are held at City Hall in Room 111 at 6 p.m. on the 4th Monday of each month except in May and December. If you have an issue that you would like discussed, please email me at ward4_pos1@fayetteville-ar.gov and we will add it to the agenda. Agendas will be distributed through various neighborhood listservs and the city council’s website.