I didn't come to this work through a textbook. I came through foster care casefiles, board meetings, late nights building a nonprofit, and two decades of showing up for children and families in this community. Here's my story — all of it.

Chapter one

Chattanooga born.

Chattanooga all in.

I was born and raised in Chattanooga. This community shaped me — its neighborhoods, its schools, its people. My husband Joe and I have been married for more than 22 years, and we are raising six children here. We've lived in North Chattanooga, Red Bank, and Hixson, where we've put down roots for the past decade.

Our children have attended public, charter, private, homeschool, and school choice programs across Hamilton County. That's not a talking point — it's our actual life. I understand this system from the inside, across multiple schools, multiple experiences, and multiple children with different needs. My daughter currently attends Hixson High School.

When I say I'm running for this community, I mean it in the most literal way possible. I have never left. I don't plan to.

Strong Students. Students Schools. Strong Community.

This isn't where
I planned to be.
It's where I'm meant to be.

"This community shaped who I am. Running for school board isn't a career move — it's the next chapter of a life I've already been living here."

Chapter two

Foster Care Changed

Everything.

Early in my career, I worked in foster care as a caseworker and home study writer, and later served on the Foster Care Review Board. I sat across the table from children who had been failed by the systems that were supposed to protect them — and I watched what happened when the right adults showed up, and what happened when they didn't.

That work became deeply personal. Joe and I adopted three of our children through the foster care system. I know what it means to look at a child the world has underestimated and see everything they're capable of. That lens has never left me — it's in everything I do, and it's a big part of why I'm running.

Every child in Hamilton County's schools deserves adults who see their potential, fight for their safety, and refuse to give up on them. That's not an abstract value for me. It's lived experience.

"I know what it means to look at a child the world has underestimated and see everything they're capable of. That's not a policy position — it's personal."

Chapter three

20 years of Building -

Not just believing.

I’ve spent more than 20 years doing this work—not just talking about it.

As the founder and CEO of RiseUP Cooperative, I built a nonprofit from the ground up to equip teens and young adults with the life and leadership skills they need to thrive—not just graduate. As President of the Ivy Academy Board of Directors, I’ve been responsible for real governance decisions—budgets, policy, and accountability. And as co-founder of the Girls Leadership Summit, I’ve helped invest in building the next generation of confident, capable young women right here in Hamilton County.

My office is based at the Family Justice Center, where I work daily alongside organizations supporting families and youth across our region. These aren’t just lines on a résumé—they represent relationships, trust, and a deep network I will bring directly into this role.

Most candidates talk about building connections. I’m showing up with them already in place.

I founded RiseUP with a clear purpose: to invest in the next generation and equip young people with the tools they need for long-term success.

Since 2020, RiseUP has delivered:

• 350+ workshops

• 5,000+ individuals served

• 80+ community partnerships

• 50,000+ volunteer hours

With 229.3% participant growth between 2023 and 2024, RiseUP is demonstrating strong momentum, sustained impact, and growing trust across our community.

RiseUP Cooperative

Founder & CEO — life and leadership skills for teens and young adults

Girls Leadership Summit

Co-founder — developing young women leaders across Hamilton County

Ivy Academy

President, Board of Directors — charter school governance, budgeting & policy

Family Justice Center

Office base — daily collaboration with agencies serving families & youth

Chapter four

Why the School Board?

Why now?

I've been asked this question a lot. The honest answer is that it felt inevitable. For 20 years I've worked in the space between young people and the systems that shape their lives — in foster care, in nonprofits, in school governance, in community partnerships. The school board is where policy decisions get made that either open doors for children or close them.

I've watched those decisions get made. I know which ones help and which ones don't. I know what it looks like when a board is truly accountable to families and what it looks like when it isn't. I'm ready to be in the room where it happens — not as an observer, but as a vote.

Hamilton County deserves a board member who understands governance, who has managed budgets, who has built programs, who has sat across from struggling families, and who will never forget that every policy decision lands on a real child. That's what I bring. That's why I'm running.

"I believe relationships matter, listening matters, and thoughtful leadership matters. And I believe our children deserve all three from every adult in a position of power over their schools."