I represent the new generation of leadership in Monona. I'm a Monona mom, a business innovator, and a communications professional. I will bring my expertise to City Hall to build a more inclusive
and resilient city.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
MONONA
• Monona City Council
• Monona Plan Commission
• Monona Landmarks Commission Chair
• Monona Community Media Chair
• Monona Transit Commission
• President of the Monona Business Watch Program 2017-2019
• Monona Farmers Market Board 2017-2018
• Monona Grove Community Engagement Committee 2017-2018
• Friends of WVMO Committee
• Regular Volunteer at Winnequah School
• Monona Parks & Rec Soccer League Coach
• TerraCycle Advocate (drop off at Monona Public Library)
DANE COUNTY/ MADISON
• Dane County Parks Commissioner
• Dane Co. Cultural Affairs Grant Review Panel 2017-2018
• Co-Founder of the Momentum Urban Arts Fest
STATE & BEYOND
• Wisconsin Bike Fed Board of Directors
ENDORSEMENTS
Tim Metcalfe - son of former Monona Mayor
Heidi Duss - Diversity Inclusion & Equity Consultant
Andrew McKinney - Monona Grove School Board
Kat Casey - Monona resident and business owner
Mitch Surell & Beth Singer - Monona residents
Joe & Rita Klinzing - Monona residents and local business owners
Laura MacIsaac - Monona resident
Baltazar De Anda Santana - LGBTQ+ and Latino community leader
Chuck Stonecipher - Monona resident
Anna Gouker - Monona resident
Andy Weidert and Shahla M. Werner, PhD - Monona residents
Ivo Rozendaal - Monona resident
Jessica Cavazos - Executive Director of Latino Chamber of WI
Ron & Sharla Bilchik - Monona residents
Peggy Michaelis - Monona resident
Dale & Marie Ganser - Monona residents
John & Barbra Klinzing - Monona residents
Tania Ibarra - Local Latino leader
Marsha Rummel - District 6 Alder, City of Madison
Pepe Barros Hoffens - Local leader and bicycle advocate
Juan Jose Lopez - Latino Leader
Jessica Cavazos, Executive Director-Wisconsin Latino Chamber of Commerce
Baltazar De Anda Santana, Orgullo Latinx LGBT+ of Dane County
Brad Kressin & Erika Schneider, Monona residents
Dan Halverson, Monona business owner
ABOUT ME
I could have lived anywhere but I chose to raise my kids in Monona. I love the small town atmosphere, living near the lake and all of the amenities that living in Monona provides. Monona is made up of some incredible people. I'm running for Mayor of Monona because I want my kids to be able to continue to live here and raise their kids here if they want to. I want to ensure that we have a resilient city that relies on innovation, embracing tech tools, and I want to improve our communication to make these things possible. It all starts with communication.
I opened a cartography firm in 2000 which evolved into a full service graphic design and video production agency. I sold the business after 10 years when my daughter was one. I then worked for a few nonprofits including being hired as the executive director of the Monona Chamber of Commerce. I rebranded the organization to set it up for future success and position it as a more progressive business association. It became the Monona East Side Business Alliance (MESBA) and grew to become an economic engine for the east side with Monona at the hub. I doubled the membership in two years and it became the third largest chamber of commerce in Dane County after three years of my leadership.
I now serve as the executive director of a nonprofit called Free Bikes 4 Kidz Madison. FB4K Madison works in transportation equity by collecting donated bikes, repairing them, and giving them to low income and diverse communities throughout Dane County. I also work with local street artists to help elevate the diversity of art forms by legitimizing street art and increasing cultural diversity in our area's art scene. In 2019, I co-founded the Momentum Urban Arts Fest that is responsible for curating walls throughout Monona for street art.
I am a first generation college student who attended UW-Madison 1994-1998. My degrees are in Conservation Biology and Geography with a Cartography and Urban Planning emphasis. I have worked in the tourism industry from 2000-2019. I grew up on an island in Lake Huron in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan on the Canadian border. I am a member of the Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians, descended from the Anishinaabeg people who have lived in the Great Lakes Basin for millennia. My reservation is in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.
I live on the north side of Monona (NoMo) with my two children who attend Monona Grove School District. We love to be outside and you'll often see us biking, playing frisbee or football in the street, making chalk drawings on Gordon Avenue, ice skating at the lagoon, swimming at the pool, and hanging out with our awesome neighbors. Our favorite park in Monona is Stone Bridge and we have adopted Storm Drain 947, 948, and 949.
The flag of the Sault Tribe of Chippewa
(Ojibway) Indians
I have an arrow in my logo because in Native American symbolism, an arrow facing to the right means protection. I'm a Great Lakes Water Protector and also a protector of our namesake lake.
The core function of a Mayor is to protect her people and that is what I commit to doing through courageous leadership if elected. I take no offense that my opponent added an arrow to her logo this year as well. Thank you to those of you who have reached out with concerns about cultural appropriation.
