I'm running for Council for the health of our City.

I started work on March 17, 2020 — the first day of the COVID lockdown. In the chaotic months that followed, I helped launch three mass vaccination sites and directed our mobile vaccine program, bringing shots to neighborhoods throughout the region. I also organized drive-thru clinics at nearly every public school in Charlottesville and the District’s five counties. Our top priority was reaching residents who might otherwise miss out on vaccination, including homebound seniors, farmworkers, and rural pockets of the District. Thanks to our comprehensive campaign, our District had the second highest fully-vaccinated rate in Virginia and one of the smallest gaps in vaccination rates by race.

Now that we’ve moved beyond pandemic response, I lead the District’s Community Health Improvement Plan to address long-term health care needs. One of our top priorities is improving transportation access so residents can reach the resources they need to stay healthy – no matter their age, income, or mobility needs. I represent the Health District on several regional transportation bodies, including:

• the Regional Transit Partnership, which coordinates bussing for Charlottesville, Albemarle, UVA, and JAUNT
• the Bike & Pedestrian Advisory Committee
• the Piedmont Environmental Council’s Mobility Alliance
• the Transportation Workgroup for the Charlottesville Area Alliance, a regional network of organizations serving older residents

Through my work with the Health District, I’ve built deep partnerships with Charlottesville City staff and community leaders throughout the Blue Ridge. Regional partnerships are key to our city’s success, and I’m eager to bring those skills to my City Council service.

Since 2009, I’ve supported more than 120 babies and their families as a practicing doula. Working with families and providers inspired me to pursue broader, lasting change through public policy and earn my Master’s in Public Health from UNC-Chapel Hill. As a public health practitioner, I love building bridges between our community’s healthcare providers. I've worked with local midwives to train Charlottesville firefighters on supporting mothers and babies during childbirth, and last year, I launched the 'Kidz R Kool' program with local pediatricians to offer free school physicals and vaccines to uninsured students. It takes a village to help every family get the care they need, and I’m so proud to work with the incredible health care providers in ours.

My spouse Jesse and I live in Belmont with our son, Theo, who is now a freshman at Charlottesville High School. Jesse and I met through Charlottesville’s music scene, and I still play stand-up bass in a country band called Jim & Juice. I teach yoga once a week, walked my first marathon last year, and love long weekends surfing on the Outer Banks. When it’s too cold to surf, you can find me cheering on the Black Knights from the bleachers at a wrestling meet.