My qualifications and why they matter
Through this body of work, I’m proud to have served the people of Boulder, Boulder County, Colorado, and the Rocky Mountain region. I’d be delighted and honored to put my leadership and organizing skills to work in our Colorado Capitol.
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Public Employees' Retirement Association trustee (2017-2022)
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Senate President Fenberg’s appointee to the Colorado General Assembly’s Pension Review Subcommittee (current)
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Boulder Valley Education Association Vice President (2009-2012), and President (2012-2018)
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B.A. - Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology Department, CU Boulder (1989)
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Ph.D. - Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department, CU Boulder (2005)
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30-year BVSD science educator (1990-2023)
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Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains board member (2015-2022) and chair of PPRM’s political action arm, the PPRM Action Fund (2017-2019)
Climate change and environmental degradation are existential threats, and I have the scientific background to consider and tackle these issues
I have a PhD in plant physiology from CU’s Ecology and Evolutionary Biology department and 30 years of teaching physical and Earth sciences in BVSD. I’ve enjoyed decades of engaging in great discussions with students and science colleagues while teaching about energy and resource use and conservation. I know how to translate science concepts to the lay person which is necessary to drive good policy around these issues.
Reproductive health and justice, and associated rights to bodily autonomy and self-determination, especially for women and LGBTQ+ people, are under attack
I’m a two-term board member of Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains (PPRM) and former chair of the PPRM Action Fund, the advocacy and political action arm of PPRM. Fortunately, our state is currently a beacon for reproductive care, but I am well versed in the insidious ways threats to this care can creep into legislation and policy.
Colorado is 50th in teacher salaries, and we have a teacher shortage crisis in our state
During my 30-year career as a public school educator, I've seen what underfunding means to kids and families in our state. I’ve worked hard to advocate for education funding and good policy because our future really does depend on it. As president of the Boulder Valley Education Association (BVEA), I represented my colleagues locally and in statewide discussions about public education. I’ll bring an insider’s knowledge and focus to the legislature.
It’s imperative that we protect the rights of Colorado workers
As BVEA President, I worked to strengthen the relationship between the Boulder Valley School District and its employee unions, making our system a model of labor peace and cooperation. I fostered relationships between BVEA and other professional unions, and I will always champion collective bargaining rights and the rights of workers.
The sustainability of our Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA) is critical to Colorado’s economy and the well-being of more than 500,000 public employees/retirees
As a former elected PERA trustee, and as a current member of the Pension Review Subcommittee, I understand Colorado's pension landscape. I understand the fiduciary duty of large financial institutions as well as their potential to affect change through environmental, governance, and socially conscious investment policy. I understand the role our public employees and retirees play in our state's economy, and I know the importance of protecting the financial well-being of these public servants who've contributed so much to Colorado.
