I moved to Black Mountain when I was two years old and grew up here. I graduated from Owen High School in 2003, and although my education and career have taken me throughout Western North Carolina, Black Mountain has always been the place I come back to.

I've built my career around serving people and strengthening communities. My professional background is in parks and recreation, community programming, nonprofit leadership, and community engagement. I currently serve as the Director of Congregational Life & Children's Ministry at Black Mountain Presbyterian Church, where I provide leadership for programs serving children, families, and older adults.

Before that, I worked in Black Mountain Recreation & Parks and Henderson County Parks & Recreation, developing programs, leading staff and volunteers, managing facilities and events, and working with community partners to meet the needs of the people we served.

My education includes a Master's degree in Parks, Recreation & Tourism Management from NC State and a bachelor's degree in Mass Communication from UNC Asheville.

But the part of my background I'm most proud of isn't a title or a degree. It's the people I've had the opportunity to serve.