I was elected to the city council in 2020. In 2022, my colleagues on council unanimously voted for me as your vice mayor. This is my first reelection bid.

My husband and I have lived in Sedona since 2013, having first visited as tourists in the winter of 1993. We fell in love with the natural beauty of Sedona’s landscape and the people of Sedona who were welcoming, inclusive, collaborative, supportive and demonstrated a keen sense of community.

I am a retired attorney with a 30-year background in transforming government services using information technology. I have worked with governments at every level. I received a bachelor’s degree in international affairs from the Elliott School at George Washington University and a law degree from Golden Gate University where I received the prestigious book award on constitutional law. I have worked tirelessly over the course of my career to build connections that create mutual trust and respect.

During my tenure on council, I have listened to your voices, actively engaged with you and acted in your best interests. It is not easy to satisfy everyone’s expectations; however, in making my decision on how to vote on an issue, residents are top of mind.

Gov. Hobbs recently appointed me to serve as a member of the Arizona Civil Rights Advisory Board whose mission is to support initiatives promoting goodwill and foster elimination of discrimination through community efforts. I hope to share these efforts with our community.

I am proud of our achievements thus far but there is more work to do. Examples of successes: The Sedona Shuttle with over 700,000 boardings to date; bringing tourism in-house with better oversight and control; revitalized emergency response and evacuation planning; supporting public-private partnerships for transitional and workforce housing; enhancing walkability in our neighborhoods; approving a trash ordinance to prevent environmental nuisance; supporting our library with increased funding; keeping our graywater for potential reuse; increasing financial support to trails restoration; and preserving Yappy Hour for our canine companions.

Before being elected to council, I spent five years serving on the city’s Budget Workgroup and its Fiscal Sustainability Workgroup. I am past president of both the Sedona Arts Center Board and the Rotary Club of Sedona and a former board member of The Sedona Women. I have served on several local nonprofit boards dedicated to public policy issues in the areas of education, justice and community building. I am the proud recipient of the 2018 Spirit of Sedona Volunteer of the Year Award.

I am looking forward to our microtransit providing ride sharing for residents; the opening of Ranger Station Park; completing the Forest Road extension; new pickleball courts; and the underpass at Tlaquepaque.

If reelected, I will continue to advocate for returning local control to Sedona.

We must continue to oppose efforts that restrict our ability to control short-term rentals, off-road highway vehicles, zoning and land use. Only with local control, can we be responsive to resident needs.

I ask for your vote on July 30.

Editor’s Note:

This is an essay written by the candidate with only minimal edits to punctuation and capitalization. There are three open seats on Sedona City Council in the 2024 election. Incumbent Sedona City Councilwoman Kathy Kinsella, challenger Derek Pfaff, incumbent Sedona Vice Mayor Holli Ploog and challenger Katherine Todd are the four candidates campaigning for three seats. Election day is Tuesday, July 30.