What elected official seat do you sit in?
I hold City Council Place 4
How long have you held that seat?
I was elected to City Council in 2019
What is your main goal as a City Council member during this term?
Ensuring high quality residential and commercial development is my primary goal. Whenever I can, I encourage builders to construct a high-quality product so that new residential developments look more like the neighborhoods that were built in the late 90s and early 2000s in Midlothian.
What made you decide to get into politics?
I decided to run for City Council after having served on the Utility Board and Parks Board at only 18 years old. I was inspired by my mother and grandfather who both served on the city council. In fact, when my mom was on city council, I frequently attended meetings, so I feel very comfortable in this role.
What have been some of the surprises?
The biggest surprise was being in leadership during the pandemic. When I took office, I knew there would be a lot of challenges, but I didn’t foresee having to deal with a major public health issue. While the city has pretty much followed the lead of our county and state officials, the health and safety of our citizens has weighed heavily on my mind as a council member.
What has been the biggest challenge?
A personal challenge has been to keep a balance between my responsibilities at home, business, and the City Council. Serving on council takes a lot of time because I want to be sure that I am knowledgeable about the variety of issues that come before the council. Some people don’t realize that City Councilmembers serve as volunteers, and that we also have jobs and families.
Where do you see the city going in the next few years and how will you contribute to that?
There is no doubt that Midlothian will continue to see residential and commercial development. I would like to continue to contribute by encouraging the most quality developments possible. Although I am one of seven councilmembers, I believe we all have the same goal; although at times we may have different ideas about how we get there. I am committed to working to ensure that we get the kind of growth we want and to make sure we have the infrastructure to keep up with it.
