Urban County Mayor

I work at Amazon warehouse on Merser rd. I have high school diploma and I did attend BCTC but no degree.

I know exactly what the average person is going through because I am also living the same life.

Affordable Lexington. This is one of the issue that really is devastating our community.

Safe Lexington. I want this city to have community policing and inclusion in decision-making when it comes to safety.

Transparency Lexington. I want everything to be out and clear from my administration and government in general. No secrecy no hiding.

I will lower the cost of living in Lexington through eliminating the fare public transit, childcare and pre-K, making Lexington accessible by modernizing our street lights, traffic lights, economic opportunity for the youth, small business growth.

I will increase awareness to the residence of how to get involved with the government via government channels. Also, I will be holding Q&A every evening of every Saturday from the residence of Lexington on social media and on the city’s LexTV.

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.

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.

Current public relations specialist at UK focusing on the College of Agriculture, Food and Environment; Rosenberg College of Law; UK Libraries; and The Graduate School at UK

Additional:

WTVQ- Video Editor

College of Charleston, SC- Student Media Advisor

KTVO (Kirksville, MO)- Morning News Anchor

WDBD FOX 40 (MS)- Morning News Anchor

Lextran- Bus Driver

AU Associates (Louisville)- Property Manager

FOX Augusta (GA)- Morning News Anchor

Black News Channel (FL)- Weekend News Anchor/Managing Editor

Over the last three years I’ve attended most council meetings and work sessions in our city and one thing is abundantly clear: We can do more.

I'm running to improve community connections, focus our economy on long-term growth, and get taxpayers greater return on their investment.

Housing, the economy, Public Safety, and Public Mobility are the most pressing issues that I have a plan to improve.

Declare housing emergency on day one

Create unhoused government resource center

Tax code incentives for creative in-fill “middle housing” ideas

Re-invest into public housing

Academy to help new entrepreneurs create and small businesses to expand

Refocus on community policing models

Scholarships for first-responders to become social workers

Installation of a Smart Signal Traffic Centralized Management System

Lextran expansion

Appointment of sidewalk and bike czars to identify unsafe designs

As a former journalist, I promise to have regular weekly press conferences to connect with local media and keep citizens up to date. I will encourage hyper-local participation in neighborhood/homeowner associations and be present during meetings/events.

I also plan to have monthly Lextran ride day to connect with citizens on the bus.

BBA University of Kentucky 1981

UK’s Handicapped Student Services

20 years in the service center industry

Landscape contractor since 2001

Active volunteer for American Cancer Society’s Hope Lodge and Ronald McDonald House Charities

I’m home grown and home proud. The competitive steel industry gave me the experience needed to stay focused on the customer, in this case the citizens of Fayette County. Being a self-employed contractor is a 24/7 job, and you must be able to negotiate with all types of people. If you don’t complete the project as agreed, you don’t get payed. I am experienced in both white collar and blue collar industries.

Two permissive norms continue to be dangerous and costly to our community. Neglected traffic light patterns have drivers reckless on the roads. Green doesn’t mean go, it means proceed with caution. And our littered grounds are so prevalent that our sewer system has become polluted, even downtown.

The long stop lights and absence of flashing lights during low volume have drivers running red lights and preoccupied on their phones. My plan is to update the entire system and change the habits of those reckless drivers. I will also create and enforce a clean-up law for all commercial, residential and rental property owners to be responsible for their littered grounds.

Currently, public comments can be delivered to the mayor and council members at the end of their long meetings. There is a 3 minute limit at the podium, with no discussion or feedback. I will accept these comments by email, then read and discuss them without the person having to be present. Then the concerned citizen’s council member will follow up with that person in a timely manner.