Why are you running for office?
I love this city--it's the first place I've lived where I've felt like I was a part of a larger community. I am running for office because our democracy requires us to be active participants in creating a more perfect union. I have lived in District 6 for 11 years and have been working to make it and the city at large a better place for residents as a public health practitioner, business owner, and community organizer. I believe that the city council and our community need diverse voices with different lived experiences, backgrounds, and expertise to review and pass good policy, listen to constituents, and collaborate to take action on the issues facing St. Petersburg.
What is your top priority on day 1?
My top priority on day 1 is ensuring that I am positioning myself to be the best representative of District 6 residents and the city. This means membership on committees that impact significant parts of my district, like the South St. Pete CRA, establishing different ways constituents can access my office to voice their concerns and collaborate on issues they care about, and building on the relationships I've created over the years to achieve systems-level change on things like affordable housing, infrastructure, and storm resiliency.
Other than your day 1 priority, what keeps you up at night?
What keeps me up at night is how many businesses, residents, and their families are still displaced and hurting from the hurricanes from the previous year, while we face another hurricane season. As both a resident and a public health practitioner, I want to take steps to build an infrastructure that protects people, businesses, and the city from the recurring devastation we've seen. We know that weather events are only getting more severe; from deadly hurricanes to extreme heat, we need to ensure that all citizens, especially those with disabilities and the elderly, are prepared and protected.
What’s something you’ve heard from residents that really stuck with you?
A lot of residents are concerned about how rapidly our city is changing. The amount of development and increase in housing costs has made a lot of long-time residents worry about their ability to stay in the city they love. The things that brought people here, like our amazing arts and culture community, parks and beaches, and unique businesses, are being priced out and displaced. Many of the people who work in those retail and tourism spaces can't afford to live in St. Pete anymore. Many of our teachers and firefighters are also having a hard time finding affordable housing, which makes it difficult for them to live in the communities they serve. Affordable housing is a systemic issue that requires an understanding of the interplay between the market, transit, urban planning, and policy. We need all community stakeholders, including residents, developers, businesses, the government, and the public sector, to work together to find creative solutions to help our workforce find affordable housing and keep the unique elements of St. Pete alive.
For the seat you’re seeking, what is something you wish government did more of?
For city council, I wish the government would do more to engage our less engaged residents. We have a lot of people in District 6 and beyond, that are disengaged because they may not realize how much local government impacts their daily lives. The politics of late have made it difficult to interface with residents -- I'd like to change that because the city needs its residents and vice versa. We have a lot of issues facing our city that require holistic approaches -- and that includes engaging and empowering our citizens to be a part of the design and decision-making process. As someone who has worked to build coalitions and energize St. Pete voters, I believe I am well-positioned to increase citizen engagement.
For the seat you’re seeking, what is something you wish government did less of?
I wish the government were less siloed -- there are so many services, funding opportunities, and programs that the city provides that could better communicate and collaborate on to make it easier for organizations, businesses, and residents to access and engage with.
How will you measure your success?
Much of what we do as city council members will not be seen until years in the future. Policy and systems change takes a long time--we are just starting to understand the impacts of policies passed decades ago. For me, success will be measured by seeing decreases in long-standing health, social, and economic disparities in St. Pete. It is also in seeing long-term residents breathe a sigh of relief when they feel that they can stay in their homes. The small business expands to another location because the local economy and customer base have improved. Artists and teachers can find affordable places to live so they can continue to contribute their talents to our community.
How do you recharge when you're not campaigning or working?
When I'm not campaigning or working, I am either going free diving in one of Florida's many freshwater springs or I'm hanging out with friends at a local coffee shop. I also love to read -- I'm a big science fiction nerd!