Urban County Mayor

Lexington Mayor 2019-present, Lexington Vice-Mayor 2011-2014, Councilmember 1999-2014,

Registered Nurse - bedside practice, team leading, outpatient clinic, nursing college instructor. Areas of adult medical-surgical, pediatrics, intensive care, drug & alcohol counseling, community education team.

As Chief Executive of a 3000+ employee organization w/total budget of about $900M, my experience/knowledge of how to improve the quality of life for Lexingtonians is unmatched. Some examples during my Mayoral tenure are innovations in public safety technology, creating Bluegrass AgTech Development Corp, our mobile food market, expungement clinics w/job fairs (seven), increasing supply of Affordable Housing, focus on creative solutions for homelessness, new Work Force Center, new parks, etc.

My expertise in forging partnerships will lead to continuing to increase jobs & job training in Fayette County (last year Fayette hit a historic high in number of people employed in Fayette), growing Affordable Housing (AH) (Lexington has built nearly 4000 AH units), violence prevention efforts . All of these translate to a stronger economy & better quality of life for people in Lexington.

Open new Legacy Business Park, build to shovel-ready the Central Ky Business Park in Berea (collaboration w/Scott Co, Madison Co, Fayette Co & Berea), continue to support small business, increase number of builders who will partner to build AH units, continue strong financial support for AH, continue city's strong efforts to streamline internal development process, assess & act on the recommendations from my Mayor's Task Force on Homelessness, persist in One Lexington youth violence prevention.

I continue to meet with many Fayette residents, respond to their suggestions & concerns, continue to strengthen our 311 efforts to hear from callers, public input sessions such as those sponsored by my Racial Justice Commission scheduled this year, continue my Faith Leaders input sessions, encourage people to use public input at meetings, participate in call-in opportunities. Engage public input, such as ideas regarding handling ice storms, which brought in about 60 responses.

I am a business owner, civic leader and proud Lexingtonian who has dedicated her career to home ownership and access to opportunity. In addition to business, my experience spans housing, economic development, and finance. I served on the LFUCG Board of Adjustments from 2017 until 2025, and was appointed by Gov. Beshear to the Kentucky Real Estate Commission in 2020, where I still serve. Other service work includes CommerceLex Foundation, WBC Advisory Board and UK Mentorship programs.

I have a unique balance of experience and leadership skills required to effectively manage an executive office and provide adequate services and resources to our residents. I’m a mom, a wife, a business owner, an advocate, and a mentor. My family and I have built a life here and I know first hand, the impact policy decisions have on daily life and business. I am not running for the sake of political gain. I'm running to be of service to a city I am deeply invested in and call home.

The top issues facing my office include addressing our current housing shortage by providing adequate, affordable housing for our residents; maintaining and investing in basic services to residents and infrastructure such as roads, public safety and community improvements; creating a favorable environment to attract businesses and good paying job opportunities; and addressing the potential budget shortfalls before they negatively impact residents.

I will eliminate the obstacles and create incentives to make it possible to create more homes and reach our housing goals. I will actively pursue state and federal dollars to invest in infrastructure, housing, and public safety. I will create an environment that allows businesses of all sizes to invest and grow in our city, attract new industries, and create more jobs by reducing red tape. I will develop innovative partnerships with our local learning institutions to create a path to employment.

I am encouraged by the work being done by community based organizations like CivicLex who are dedicated to educating citizens about local government. For my part as mayor, I will commit to create a culture that welcomes input and participation in our local government and prioritizes making all citizens feel a part of the city. I believe the more voices heard and the more diverse, innovative ideas that are shared, the better the city becomes. My door will always be open.