I've always been an extrovert who loves bringing people together. I enjoy getting to know my neighbors, finding common ground, and building the kind of connections that make a community stronger.

My husband, our son, and I moved to Long Lake in 2015. Not long after we arrived, my husband joined the Long Lake Fire Department as a firefighter. At the time, I was focused on my career and raising our family. I remember joking with him, "If you want to be a firefighter, that's great, but I don't have time to get involved."

The joke was on me.

It didn't take long for the members of the department to become like family. Before I knew it, I had joined the Auxiliary, started volunteering whenever I could, and found myself deeply invested in supporting the people who dedicate themselves to protecting our community.

When it became clear that the future of the department (and the firefighters I had grown to care so much about) was at risk, I stepped up. I launched the Figure Out Fire campaign to advocate for a solution that would keep our firefighters together, provide a cost-effective, fiscally responsible solution and ensure a strong future for public safety for our community.

I went into Figure Out Fire thinking, "If I can just help people understand the issue, this will be a quick and easy campaign." Boy, was I wrong.

What I thought would take a few weeks became a two-year community education effort. The issue was complicated, and there were thoughtful, passionate people on every side of the conversation. I spent countless hours listening, researching, asking questions, sharing information, and bringing people together. I learned that leadership isn't about having all the answers—it's about doing the work to understand the issue, communicating the facts clearly, and helping people make informed decisions.