Why I’m Running

I’m running for Town Council for one simple reason: I care deeply about Blacksburg. 

This town has been my home for most of the past 26 years. I came here as a student at Virginia Tech, earned three degrees, and chose to stay because I believe in this community—its people, its future, and what it represents.

Strong leadership starts with people who care deeply about their community and are willing to listen, ask questions, and think independently. That belief has guided both my personal and professional life.

In my career as a program manager, I’ve worked on complex, multi-stakeholder challenges—bringing together different perspectives, breaking down big problems, and guiding teams toward thoughtful, effective solutions. I know how to look at the full picture, ask the right questions, and move ideas forward in a way that brings people together. That is the kind of leadership I will bring to the Town Council.

Right now, we need a Council composed of diverse viewpoints—people from different backgrounds who can engage in real discussions, challenge each other respectfully, and work toward thoughtful solutions.

We cannot continue with a group that simply agrees with each other and repeats the same patterns while expecting different results.

For too long, decisions that shape the future of Blacksburg have been rushed, madewithout meaningful deliberation, or pushed forward by those who seek to bulldoze others despite strong community concerns.

We need leadership that slows down, listens to its citizens, and makes decisions transparently and thoughtfully—not behind closed doors or through predetermined outcomes.

We also need new ideas. Blacksburg is a unique town with unique challenges, and it deserves fresh perspectives. We cannot rely solely on the same individuals who have held power for more than a decade while residents feel increasingly unheard and disconnected from the decisions being made on their behalf.

I am running because I love Blacksburg. I am running because I believe in its future. I am running because I want a Council that works for its citizens—one that communicates openly, works collaboratively with its citizens as well as Virginia Tech, rather than in conflict, and makes decisions that strengthen our community for all of the people who live here now and those who will call it home in the future.

I am not a career politician.

I am a citizen who cares.

And I am ready to stand up for Blacksburg.