About

My Roots

I grew up in a rural town in Louisiana, in close proximity to my neighbors. I spent summers on my grandparents’ farm in Mississippi watching my father and grandmother bush-hog farm land and care for livestock. These experiences taught me the value of hard work and the importance of community.

It is my belief that every individual deserves dignity, respect, empowerment and justice, regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation, or economic status. My twenty years of professional experience is multi-faceted, but there is one principle that has consistently guided me: Service.

Experience  

As a Grassroots Union Organizer, I helped unite my fellow home healthcare and childcare providers to lobby for living wages, health benefits and educational opportunities, and ran a successful ground campaign for the election of a former governor of Illinois. I also helped to organize displaced workers in Louisiana and Texas after Hurricane Katrina. After I completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science at St. Xavier University in Chicago, my desire to advocate and serve led me to enroll at Southern University Law Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. As a law student, I participated in the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, providing free tax services for low- to moderate-income taxpayers living in the Baton Rouge area. I interned at the New Orleans Public Defender’s Office, researching case law, drafting legal memoranda and preparing court motions for filing. As a Marshall Brennan Constitutional Literacy Project Fellow, I enjoyed teaching high school students how to interpret the constitution and understand the application of  law in real-life scenarios, helping them to be informed citizens. I received my mediation certification from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Services. Currently, I review, negotiate, and coordinate all activities required to the finalization of site contracts as Senior Contract Specialist for PPD, Inc.

Service

After graduating from law school in 2011, I relocated, with my husband, Alex, to Durham, North Carolina, and eventually to Fuquay Varina, a community that is reminiscent of the small towns where I grew up and spent my summers.

In 2012, I began volunteering at the Elna B. Spaulding Conflict Resolution Center (CRC), providing mediation services in People’s Court in the 14th Judicial District of North Carolina. I also served as a Truancy Court judge in the Durham Public School District, partnering with school officials and parents to identify and address the barriers that inhibit children’s school attendance and learning. Having passed the Illinois bar and obtaining my law license shortly after relocating to North Carolina, I was eager to take more of a leadership role. For two years, I served as a board member for the CRC, and was subsequently appointed Board Vice President. As an Attorney, I have provided pro bono legal services to churches and small start-up businesses in Chicago. I prepared and negotiated contracts and confidential disclosure agreements, drafted demand letters, negotiated breach-of-contract disputes and assisted with initial negotiations in a lien dispute.

As a resident of Fuquay Varina, I have volunteered at the Raleigh Rescue Mission through one of our local churches, attended town hall meetings, sought opportunities to serve on town board committees, attended forums, and volunteered at Run the Quay.

Vision

My experiences have taught me when to be a neutral voice of reason and when to be a voice of strength in the face of opposition. Knowing when to take charge and when to support those in charge is an essential skill for any leader. If elected, I will use my legal and professional experience to make sound decisions regarding current and future rulings that impact our community. I will use my years of experience as an organizer, volunteer, and advocate to listen to the concerns of Fuquay Varina residents, both in town hall meetings and out in the community. It is my goal to work  with and for the citizens of Fuquay Varina to ensure that as our town continues to grow and develop, the uniqueness that makes Fuquay Varina “a dash more” will not be displaced.