I’m from a small town in rural Oregon, and I’m the first woman in my family to graduate from medical school. I traveled across the country to Indiana to follow my dream of being a pediatrician, a caregiver to children and their families. My move to Alabama in 1991 further expanded my dream, as I became a professor in the UAB Department of Pediatrics and the director of the Adolescent Health Center at Children’s of Alabama. There I taught, cared for families, and learn about what it takes to live a complex life with a multitude of caregiving roles: physician, professor, mother, wife, friend, and ally to many children and families who felt like the system was not listening to them and was leaving them behind.

When I retired from UAB in 2017, I had no idea what lay ahead in my retirement. My children were grown, my medical career was ostensibly complete, but I found a new passion in organizing the Shelby County Democratic Party, and ultimately running for office. I ran for county commissioner in 2022, learning much about campaigning and about interacting with people in my district who just wanted to be heard and seen. I will bring what I’ve learn through these life experiences to the role of coroner. I believe that my education, skills, and experiences make me the best qualified candidate for the position of Shelby County coroner.