Issues

Partnerships and Grants

As the Director of Community Engagement, part of my responsibilities is grant management with our partners in Fulton and DeKalb Counties. I have seen how funding helps our partners make a difference for those with limited access to quality care and information to achieve a healthier lifestyle. As mayor, I want Clarkston to leverage more partnerships and funding opportunities to …

Support Our Businesses

As a result of COVID-19, it has devastated businesses’ operations, causing many of them to close, and their employees are forced out of work. In Clarkston, many of our stores and restaurants have reopened, but they need support and financial assistance to make up for the months they were shut down. As a Community Advocate, I have worked with the …

Environment

More and more scientific evidence shows how urban trees and greenspace positively impact physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual well-being in hu­mans (USDA Forest Service 2018). Urban forest systems (trees, soil, and groundcover) help manage stormwater runoff by reducing stormwater volume, slowing rainfall intensity, delaying runoff, improving infiltration into soil, and increasing water stor­age capacity in soils (USDA Forest Service 2020). …

A Sense of Place

According to Project for Public Spaces, “With community-based participation at its center, an effective Placemaking process capitalizes on a local community’s assets, inspiration, and potential, and it results in the creation of quality public spaces that contribute to people’s health, happiness, and well-being.”   As a council member, I enjoyed developing programs and events that brought the residents together and …

Housing Solution

 I would like Clarkston to adopt a Comprehensive Housing Solution that looks at mixed-income neighborhood development and affordable housing. The plan needs to look at ways for helping apartment dwellers transition to a home in Clarkston; providing grants and tax relief for our seniors and low-income residents; and including middle-income homes to balance taxes in our community. I recommended our …

Transformational Policing

People in a community want a safe place to live, where they are treated with dignity and respect. It is important for police and residents to work together on these shared goals. As a council member, I was proud the council appointed a new traffic court judge and reduced the fines for marijuana possession of less than an ounce. As …