Meet Candidate

I’ve called Battle Creek home for most of my life, and I’m running for City Commission because I believe our city should work for everyday people—starting with housing, jobs, and neighborhoods we can be proud of. I was born in Heath, Ohio and moved to Battle Creek in the mid‑90s, went to Harper Creek, and graduated from Olivet College. After college, I came back in 2009 and have lived within the city limits ever since, building my life and my work here.

In 2018, my brother and I opened Café Rica downtown, and that experience changed how I see this community. Running a small business here has shown me how deeply Battle Creek residents care for their neighbors—and also how far we still have to go to make sure that care shows up in policy and practice. Every day, I’m collaborating with neighbors, building community, balancing budgets, and working to pay a living wage to my employees. Throughout the years, I’ve supported Northern Initiatives cohorts, Breaking Bred Bazaar’s makers market, BC Pride events, and fundraisers for SAFE Place, the SHARE Center, and more, because I want a city where everyone feels welcome and supported.

Before stepping fully into small‑business ownership, I spent nearly ten years working for the Department of Defense. That time gave me a front‑row seat to the ways large bureaucracies can be inefficient and lack transparency, and it convinced me that government at every level has to be open, accountable, and focused on real results for the people it serves. The daily challenges of small‑business ownership, seeing our community’s housing struggles up close, and seeing residents feel unheard by City Hall all pushed me toward deeper public service. I didn’t have one single “aha” moment—it was a steady build of momentum and responsibility and a growing belief that serving on the City Commission is the next step in making a difference for my community.

My campaign is built on four core pillars: safe, affordable, accessible housing; walkable, vibrant neighborhoods; living‑wage jobs and small‑business growth; and inclusive, responsive city government. The last pillar—making City Hall more inclusive and responsive—is the most personal to me. I’ve seen how collaboration and involving residents directly in decisions that affect them can unlock our city’s potential, and I want to help build systems where people are invited in early, not just asked for input after decisions are already made.

I imagine a Battle Creek, ten years from now, where residents feel heard by their representatives and live in a city, neighborhood, and home they can be proud of. As a commissioner, I’ll bring collaborative, community‑driven leadership to City Hall, grounded in what I’ve learned from running a small business, working within a large federal bureaucracy, and showing up for local organizations and events. When people read my story, I want them to feel hopeful, fired up for change, and, most importantly, seen and understood.