An American Story, Rooted in Monterey
Committed to Service
Like many young people in Monterey, I grew up in a military family. My mom served in the Navy for 20 years so we moved around the world and never lived anywhere long enough to grow roots. The central role the military played in our lives was a formative experience, but also an isolating one. That feeling of isolation led me to seek long-term connections and community in beautiful Monterey, where I have been honored to serve as a city councilmember since 2018.
For the past 12 years, I have worked at the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS). As a human resources specialist, I support the recruitment of top talent to Monterey where the Navy provides defense-focused graduate education. As a Human Communication, Pre-Law graduate from Cal State Monterey Bay, I was inspired by other local graduates motivated to make our home a better place to live for all. As a Master of Business Administration graduate from NPS, I was honored to study critical-thinking and analysis with military officers serving in defense of our country.
When I arrived here on the Central Coast, I didn’t know how much this area would mean to me. I had finally found a community that accepted and loved me, and I knew I’d never want to live anywhere else. My partner Ivan and I bought our first home together in Monterey because of the beautiful environment — from the climate and landscape to the amazing community activists I’ve grown to love as my family. Through my community work on the Monterey Peninsula, I have truly found a lifelong home. My ongoing work with fellow community members was fundamental in my decision to run, and with your support, serve as your next Monterey Mayor.
Community Leadership
I have a proven track record of bringing people of diverse backgrounds together to accomplish common goals. As a Deputy Regional Field Director for President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign, I was proud to manage a staff of 30 and over 500 volunteers in the President’s successful campaign.
More recently, I worked to bring that same sense of purposeful organizing to the Central Coast as a co-founder and Co-Chair of Monterey Peninsula Pride, hosting the first pride event in this community in over a decade. This unifying and inclusive event now enjoys support from diverse community organizations such as churches, synagogues, LGBTQIA+ organizations, legal groups, healthcare groups, mental health organizations and numerous public officials. It is a powerful annual event, with thousands in attendance united by our commitment to respect for all.
Now is the Time
We are living through a pivotal moment for our region. There are critical decisions that elected officials must make in the coming years that will impact the long-term sustainability of our community. As a board member with the Community Foundation for Monterey County, and Chair of the Monterey County Housing Advisory Committee, I have seen firsthand the difference an active community makes. I have fought for public control of our utilities, including our water and energy supply, but efforts by a few can only go so far - change requires persistent and sustained efforts of an engaged community. As Monterey’s Mayor, I will work tirelessly to foster, grow, and encourage productive civic participation.
I envision a future for our city as a leader in public engagement. By better utilizing modern forms of communication, I believe we can “Move Monterey Forward” by fostering robust community input to drive decision making in our local government.
On important challenges like increasing access to affordable housing, improving transportation infrastructure, and providing a sustainable water supply, Monterey is not alone. I will collaborate with regional partners to tackle these tough issues, and improve our quality of life on the Central Coast.