I live in Cheyenne, and have lived here since 1979, except for a short stint away to earn my bachelor's degree. I was born in Columbus, Georgia, while my father was stationed in the US Army.

68 years old

I am a retired attorney that still serves my community as a lawyer. I served as an administrator in the Child Support Enforcement, SNAP and TANF programs for the Wyoming Department of Family Services for several years. I most recently represented debtors in the National Debt Relief program. I'm active with St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Cheyenne as the choir director and member of the Gifts Committee and Foundation Board. I served for 16 years as an elected Trustee to the Laramie County Community College Board of Trustees. I serve on the Board of Directors for My Front Door, a local housing program. I also act and direct for the community theatre and play saxophone for local band ensembles. I'm married to John and enjoy a blended family of four children and six grandchildren. I want to bring real Wyoming values and people into the leadership of the state. I strongly support public education, public land and water, and the vision of adequate and affordable health care for all.

I asked Wyoming voters on my Facebook page what they saw as the three top issues facing Wyoming's people. The top three responses were Protecting Public Education, Affordable and Accessible Healthcare, and Affordable and Accessible Housing. The cost of living and protecting our public lands and water were also named multiple times. I would address protecting public education by making the constitutionally mandated funding a top priority. We need to elect legislators that value education. I come from a family of teachers and school administrators, and I served on the LCCC Board of Trustees for 16 years. I saw the value of education for individuals and communities. Medical bills was the #1 reason my clients faced financial crisis. I would address a Wyoming solution to the ACA enhanced premium tax cuts, and continue to explore Medicaid expansion. I would address affordable and accessible housing by proposing property tax breaks to new home buyers.

First, we need to explore a Wyoming solution to the federal cuts to the Affordable Care Act's enhanced premium tax cut. We also need to continue to look at Medicaid Expansion and the services Wyoming Medicaid will cover. I want to work with hospitals, doctors and insurers to discover solutions to these issues. No one should go into financial crisis because they got sick. I would like to find out more about Wyoming becoming self-insured for healthcare so that insurance companies do not need to purchase secondary insurance, such as the programs in Florida and New Mexico. This could reduce the cost of healthcare.

I do not support efforts to sell or transfer public land in Wyoming. Our public lands are valuable to our health and culture. I met a young couple who said one reason they moved to Wyoming was enjoyment of our public lands. Tourism and outdoor recreation are the second-highest drivers of our economy. Our public lands attract business development and talented workers. Our lands help diversify our economy. We must be respectful stewards of the gifts of our lands. We need to guarantee that our State Lands and Cultural Resources agency stays adequately funded. We also need to elect state officials to the State Lands and Investment Board (SLIB) that value our public lands and support their management in Wyoming people's best interest.

I oppose a statewide elimination or 50% reduction in property taxes. These cuts benefit the wealthy, high-value property owners in the state. An owner of a $3 million-dollar home will benefit much more than an owner of a $300,000 home, and yet will expect the same services as good schools, police protection, trash removal, and maintained streets. Our valuable public schools and reliable public services would suffer. Reducing property taxes and increasing sales and other taxes is not the answer. I want look at reductions for low-income households and for new home buyers. We can use property tax cuts for those who need to buy a home and who need to remain in their home.

I am a strong proponent of small business development. The new small businesses I see in Cheyenne are started by folks who are much younger than me and want to build a future in Wyoming. The Wyoming Legislature can reduce barriers to small business development and can create a culture of growth and vision for the future. Our leadership can create a business-ready and welcoming environment.

Every candidate must report campaign donations to the Wyoming Secretary of State. The Secretary and staff receive these reports and should take action if irregular or illegal activities occur. I cannot say at this point that Wyoming's system needs reform; but we need to elect a Secretary of State who will monitor campaign donations and take action against any illegal or corrupt action.