Post Messenger Recorder -

Age: 57

Occupation: Librarian (retired), jewelry artist, and writer.

Have you been on the Village Board or held any other public office before? If so please describe: Although I've held several elected board positions within state library associations, this is the first time that I've run for an elected position in local government. Now that I have a little extra time in my schedule, becoming involved in local government is a high priority for me.

Why are you running for Village Board? I grew up in Monroe, so was always very familiar with the restaurants, shopping, and festivals in New Glarus. However, I never fully understood the magic of New Glarus until my family and I moved here in 2004. I love living in New Glarus and it's been a wonderful fit for my husband and daughter as well. I care deeply for our community and want to help make it as strong and vibrant as possible. After working as a librarian for over 30 years in Illinois and then Wisconsin, I recently retired so I now have time to serve on our New Glarus Village Board.

If elected, do you have any specific goals for your term in office? If there is one thing that I learned during my years of being a librarian, it's that teamwork and effective communication are essential for the success of any organization. This is especially true within a municipality where there are so many stakeholders – residents, business owners, elected officials, staff, and vendors. I also want to see our Village partner more effectively with neighboring municipalities in order to plan for a future that benefits us all.

What precisely do you believe is the biggest challenge for the Village Board? New Glarus is a marvelous place to live but like every small town, we face a number of challenges. One of the biggest is how to balance our need for diverse economic and residential development with the need to preserve and promote our unique history and heritage.

What other issues would you like to see addressed by the Village Board? If elected, how would you handle these issues? Another issue is how do we maintain and improve our village infrastructure while working within our budgetary limits. And as a former Director of the New Glarus Public Library (2004 – 2012), I naturally feel that our community deserves to have an inviting, vibrant library space that addresses the needs of all of our residents. I am confident that the Village Board will finally be able to make this a reality. Although I may be new to serving in local government, I have excellent communication skills, a positive attitude, and an appreciation for diverse opinions. These are skills that will allow me to work effectively with other Board members, Village staff, and Village residents.

Do you have any additional comments? Thanks so much for the opportunity to share my thoughts with the readers of the Post Messenger Recorder.