Together
We Are Sedona
Welcome to my site!
For those of you whom I have yet to meet, here is a little bit about me.
I spent years working in high tech as a Principal Product Architect at Microsoft, Amazon, Sears, and Argos in the UK, designing both backends, like search engines, and front-end digital customer experiences. I managed teams of up to 50 people in areas such as product design, digital copy writing, taxonomy, user experience design, user interface design and user experience research.
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I have degrees in political science, sociology and human centered design and engineering
I love going on adventure holidays looking for wildlife or exploring unique landscapes and learning about new cultures. My husband, George, and I have traveled to all 7 continents and 32 countries - and still counting.
​I love dogs, especially giant breed dogs. We currently have 2 rescue mixed breed dogs and one Newfoundland.
We have four kids scattered around the US.
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Like many of you, I moved here because the Red Rocks called to me in unexpected ways.
I ran for council because I love my community and I understand our problems are complex and complicated by State laws.
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I still see a future Sedona that is vibrant, affordable, innovative, artistic and thriving with young families, entrepreneurs, people staying here as they age and visitors from across the globe. Surrounded, nurtured and inspired by the Red Rocks of Coconino National Forest.
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I also believe in us and what we can accomplish. Together.
Community
Community is the heartbeat that turns survival into thriving. – Rafael Ortega
Unity, not uniformity, must be our aim. We attain unity only through variety. Differences must be integrated, not annihilated, not absorbed - Mary Parker Follett
Community, for me, is about both our identity and how we choose to bring everyone who lives here together. A big part of who we are will be determined by whether we choose to be defined or inspired by the Red Rocks. The more homes that are converted or even built to be short-term rentals, the fewer people who live here because they are inspired by the Red Rocks. Instead, they are helping define our community as the place with the Red Rocks. Alternatively, some of us will be inspired to come back and own their home.
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Further, the more short-term rentals and part-time homes we have in our community, the fewer neighborhoods we have, wherein people can rely on each other for help, companionship, support: connection. As our neighbors age, these "old-fashioned" ideas of neighbors and neighborhoods become more important. As we have more full-time residents scattered across Sedona proper, the more important it is for us to have free community gathering spaces and affordable events that draw us together as members of a community rather than as merely participants in a larger tourist draw event. Or perhaps new ways to connect and redefine our neighborhoods. Time to reinvestigate "neighborhood connections"?
Environment
We don’t inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children. - David Brower
I am a conservationist. I recycle, compost, plant native plants, support wildlife organizations, etc.
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I also believe that while Sedona does not own the Red Rocks surrounding us, they are important to more than just the economic survival of Sedona. The Red Rocks are also Sedona's heart, soul and inspiration for many of us who live here.
For these reasons, I am a member of the Friends of the Forest, Keep Sedona Beautiful and the Greater Sedona Recreational Collaborative. Through these organizations many members of our community and organizations, including the Forest Service, Game and Fish, Yavapai County, State Parks, Yavapai Sheriff, residents across the Red Rock Ranger District, Trail Partners (an organization of OHV rental companies), Pink Jeep and City of Sedona work towards maintaining the Red Rock Trail system, monitoring and working towards rectifying the impacts of OHVs on the trails, forest service and county roads and the streets and trail heads within our city limits.
As a member of council, I represent the City of Sedona in the GSRC meetings. But as a resident, I also contribute because the Red Rocks are important to me and I am aware that heavy and/or disrespectful usage, whether from hikers, mountain bikers or OHV users can create lasting damage to the fragile eco-system, increase the negative impact on flora and fauna, create land and noise pollution impacting those of us who live here and generally degrade the Red Rock District to the point where the Forest Service may choose to close trails.
Further, the Keep Sedona Beautiful litter lifter program plays an important role in keeping trash off our streets and byways. Keeping the Red Rocks and our community safe, clean, and quiet requires all of us making these principles important.
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And then there is Oak Creek. The creek is an integral part of our Sedona history. We want to enjoy it. We are frustrated when people are disrespectful by throwing trash into or otherwise damaging the surrounding riparian eco-system. We want to protect the creek, limit building on the creek and find a way to manage access to the creek but still enjoy the creek ourselves. I am proud of the fact that I have voted to purchase land bordering the creek when it was available and reasonable in cost. I also voted to deny Oak Creek Heritage Lodge the ability to build on the creek based on concerns around not meeting the criteria found in our Land Use codes. We were overturned in court, but the attempt was made. We also asked for a public park along the creek where Ambiente Creekside is to be built but were denied that though given permission to build a Shared Use Path to the creek. I will continue to work towards protecting the creek because no amount of taxes will bring back the riparian eco-system once it is gone.
An equally important part of the environment to me is keeping our community safe from forest fires, from poor air quality from prescribed burns in surrounding areas, from pollution from an increasing number of gas-powered vehicles and from impacts of increasing temperatures in the summer, etc.
Accountability
I have always been honest in my statements and decisions. I have always worked towards all those decisions being made in the public forum. I do not believe in backroom deals and closely adhere to the requirements of the state's laws and constitution.
I held "office hours" twice a week for two hours at a time at the Sedona Community Library for over two years. No decision I have made from the dais was made without consideration from the arguments of others and my own insights and review of the materials and questions asked. I have always tried to be as open and honest as possible when explaining my decision.
Without this honesty, I cannot achieve transparency, which is important to me. With this transparency, I hold myself accountable. And that is what responsibility is all about: being held accountable. I have not taken any action lightly because I live in this community and want what is best for the longevity and health of our community - as a community. I am not a politician. I am a resident.