As Alder, I have access to information across the City’s initiatives and everyday operations. A huge part of my job is to ensure that residents are kept informed and, more importantly, have opportunities to provide input. It doesn’t sound glamorous, but one of things people say they’ve appreciated most about me is my responsiveness to their concerns. I don’t agree with every resident on every issue, but I work hard every day to do the following:

    • I really want to hear what issues are impacting people’s lives and how the City is or is not meeting their needs.
    • I have enormous respect for our city staff and believe that this is one of the best run cities in the country. It is also a growing city in a complex time, managing a range of competing priorities. When a constituent comes to me with a question or problem I don’t have an answer for, I work with city staff to understand what’s going on and what the possible solutions are.
    • I make sure my residents receive as much information as possible. I clearly explain options and I advocate on their behalf when I can.

I make myself available via regular office hours, phone, and email. I am direct and transparent about my positions and I never back down from hard conversations.

Resident engagement is critical to the health of our city and I am committed to ensuring we hear from you, not only through my own constituent services but through legislation and initiatives that make public participation more accessible. I have worked on committees focused on improving the technology used for constituent services, advocating for a 311 non-emergency system, and improving the ways the City manages resident-reported issues.

Achievements & Actions:

  • As a member of the Task Force on Government Structure, I contributed to recommendations for making resident involvement in government more accessible and representative of all members of our community. I chair the committee focused on implementation of the Task Force’s dozens of recommendations.
  • I championed the creation of a staff team focused on improving Board, Commission and Committee (BCC) staffing, training, and resident engagement. I am a strong voice for streamlining these processes, eliminating redundancy in BCC structure, and increasing the representation of marginalized populations.
  • When Covid-19 struck, I was able to combine my professional background with my understanding of Madison municipal and legislative needs to help the City transition to virtual meetings that meet public access requirements. I was also able to shepherd the legislation needed to make that possible.