I have been attending and speaking at township meetings since 2012.
Roots
I grew up in Southeastern Indiana. I’m from St. Leon, which is a small town of almost 700 people. St. Leon is a town where everyone knows everyone. It is a nice, rural town about 30 minutes from Cincinnati. I like living in Genoa Township because it has the rural feel of my hometown, but it’s close to shopping and downtown Columbus.
Schooling
After graduating high school, I earned my bachelors degree in special education from the University of Cincinnati. I taught for three years in the state of Indiana. While teaching in Indiana, I met my husband.
In 1996, my husband took a job in Pittsburgh, PA. While teaching in the Pittsburgh area, I earned my masters degree in Special Education with a supervisory certificate from the University of Pittsburgh. I also earned my principal certification from Slippery Rock University. Courses for my principal certification required me to attend school board meetings and township, borough, or city meetings. This was my first introduction to residents serving as community leaders.
Family
My husband, Bob, and I have been married for 22 years. We have three boys who attend Olentangy Schools. Although Bob and I were both born and raised in Indiana, our boys were born in Pittsburgh, PA where we lived for 15 years. We moved to Genoa Township in April of 2011. We chose Genoa Township because we liked it's location to shopping and downtown, yet it has a rural feel. I hear residents share similar stories when I attend township meetings.
Career
I taught special education in both Indiana and Pennsylvania for a combined 15 years. Shortly after having our third child, I decided to resign and stay home full-time. I went back to the workforce part-time about 5 years ago. A little over a year ago, I went back to teaching. I teach adult GED English classes at The Godman Guild in Weinland Park. I love my job. It is very exciting when a student finally understands a concept they have struggled to grasp. The ultimate reward is to watch a student, who has worked so hard, walk across the stage at graduation!
Community Involvement
Although I was introduced to community meetings in 2005 during my schooling, I didn’t become engaged until a few years later. It was then that I attended my borough’s council meeting to learn information about a mall and parking garage that was proposed in a residential area near my house. It was being proposed to sit on top of a hill so it could be seen from miles away. I attended several public meetings where hundreds of residents voiced their concerns against the development. I played a leadership role in sharing meeting information with my neighbors. The mall was ultimately voted down.
I did not become involved in the Genoa Township community until the Casto Group tried to develop a CVS in 2013. I was a member of a core group of people who united and informed the residents of the developers plans. I knocked on doors, conducted research, spoke to TV stations, and spoke at Genoa Township meetings. We, the residents of Genoa Township, were successful in getting the CVS voted down. After this time, I was determined and committed to monitor the growth of Genoa Township.
Referendum
My four-year term started in January 2020.
Roots
I grew up in Southeastern Indiana. I’m from St. Leon, which is a small town of almost 700 people. St. Leon is a town where everyone knows everyone. It is a nice, rural town about 30 minutes from Cincinnati. I like living in Genoa Township because it has the rural feel of my hometown, but it’s close to shopping and downtown Columbus.
Schooling
After graduating high school, I earned my bachelors degree in special education from the University of Cincinnati. I taught for three years in the state of Indiana. While teaching in Indiana, I met my husband.
In 1996, my husband took a job in Pittsburgh, PA. While teaching in the Pittsburgh area, I earned my masters degree in Special Education with a supervisory certificate from the University of Pittsburgh. I also earned my principal certification from Slippery Rock University. Courses for my principal certification required me to attend school board meetings and township, borough, or city meetings. This was my first introduction to residents serving as community leaders.
Family
My husband, Bob, and I have been married for 22 years. We have three boys who attend Olentangy Schools. Although Bob and I were both born and raised in Indiana, our boys were born in Pittsburgh, PA where we lived for 15 years. We moved to Genoa Township in April of 2011. We chose Genoa Township because we liked its location to shopping and downtown, yet it has a rural feel. I hear residents share similar stories when I attend township meetings.
Career
I taught special education in both Indiana and Pennsylvania for a combined 15 years. Shortly after having our third child, I decided to resign and stay home full-time. I went back to the workforce part-time about 5 years ago. A little over a year ago, I went back to teaching. I teach adult GED English classes at The Godman Guild in Weinland Park. I love my job. It is very exciting when a student finally understands a concept they have struggled to grasp. The ultimate reward is to watch a student, who has worked so hard, walk across the stage at graduation!
Community Involvement
Although I was introduced to community meetings in 2005 during my schooling, I didn’t become engaged until a few years later. It was then that I attended my borough’s council meeting to learn information about a mall and parking garage that was proposed in a residential area near my house. It was being proposed to sit on top of a hill so it could be seen from miles away. I attended several public meetings where hundreds of residents voiced their concerns against the development. I played a leadership role in sharing meeting information with my neighbors. The mall was ultimately voted down.
I did not become involved in the Genoa Township community until the Casto Group tried to develop a CVS in 2013. I was a member of a core group of people who united and informed the residents of the developers plans. I knocked on doors, conducted research, spoke to TV stations, and spoke at Genoa Township meetings. We, the residents of Genoa Township, were successful in getting the CVS voted down. After this time, I was determined and committed to monitor the growth of Genoa Township.
Referendum
Most recently, I co-chaired the committee who was responsible for placing the referendum on the ballot. The victory made a statement to the trustees that a large majority of residents do not want irresponsible developments that do not follow the Comprehensive Plan. Unfortunately, two of our current trustees recently took out the lower densities of the Comprehensive Plan and kept the higher densities in the zoning resolution. This change was against the unanimous recommendation for lower densities by the Zoning Commission and increases density throughout most of the township.
One current trustee stated that the referendum results only pertained to one parcel of land. I believe that residents spoke loud and clear last November stating that they don't want high-density anywhere in Genoa Township.