Why I Am Running

I bought my house in Palm Desert Country Club in 2021, and I absolutely love it here. I love the people, the weather (even in August), and the beauty of this community. I want to make sure it remains a place where people want to live, businesses want to invest, and our community can thrive.

I wasn’t planning to run for City Council. But I started paying much closer attention to what was happening at City Hall when the council became involved in culture-war battles last December, arguing about whether to celebrate Pride. City Hall should be focused on the essential business of running our city, not on political distractions that divide our community and damage Palm Desert’s reputation.

And the more I saw, the more concerned I became.

The city was presented with a ten-year financial projection showing a deficit: RED INK. The Council did NOT act alarmed. That was a big red flag.

I started thinking about what I could bring to City Hall.

I have been a teacher and a social worker, and now I’m a geoscientist and sustainability auditor (making sure projects live up to their claims). The thread connecting all of that work is simple: I like solving problems that matter to people.

And I think Palm Desert has some critical problems we need to solve.

We need to become much more prepared for extreme heat, flooding, power outages, and other disruptions. We must protect Palm Desert’s future, not scramble after a crisis happens. That requires more power back-up, 24-hour cooling centers, transportation and communication plans and much, much more that is not in place.

We need to build a stronger local economy that supports tourism but also diversifies beyond it. That means attracting new businesses, but it also means listening to the businesses that are already here and making sure they stay, expand, hire, and succeed.

We need to keep a much closer eye on the city budget and make sure we’re getting real value from every taxpayer dollar.

We need to do everything we can to land the Mid-Valley station for the Coachella Valley Rail project and think strategically about the economic development that can grow around it.

And we need to create more opportunities for the young people who live here—so they can see a future for themselves in Palm Desert and throughout the Coachella Valley.

I want a city government that listens, asks difficult questions, pays attention to the details, and treats every resident and every business owner with respect.

I am committed and equipped to do all of that. That’s why I am running.