My Experience

My Denton Leadership Experience

Current experiences:

• Zoning Board of Adjustments Chair
• Small Business Owner – Awarded Best of Denton 8 years in a row
• Denton Chamber of Commerce Member
• Denton Main Street Association Member
• Denton Rotary Club Member
• Chamber of Commerce Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee Member
• League of Women Voters of Denton Member

Previous experiences:

• Planning and Zoning Commission Vice-Chair
• Community Development Advisory Board Member
• 2012 Street Bond Committee Member
• Denton 2030 Plan Member
• Little Free Pantries Co-Founder
• Denton Community Splashpark Founder
• Medical Reserve Corps Volunteer / Mass Covid Vaccination Clinic Volunteer
• Denton Bike Plan Task Force Member
• Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) Instructor
• PTA member
• League of Women Voters of Texas Board Member
• Keep Denton Beautiful Volunteer
• Frack Free Denton Volunteer
• Denton Community Market Vendor
• Dallas Morning News “Texan of the Year” Nominee

My Specialty: Rebuilding in Tough Times

I own a successful massage studio in downtown Denton, but 13 years ago when I first moved here, I never imagined I’d be where I am today. Back then, I was working solo as a massage therapist out of a spare bedroom in my home. Today, despite a pandemic and all the complications that come with it, I now have 2 full time employees, 1 part time employee, and 22 massage therapists (with room to grow) in a gorgeous studio just a few blocks north of the Square.

It was no easy path to get here, and the pandemic almost destroyed my business. When covid hit in March 2020, we were forced to close, and nearly everyone on my team quit their jobs.

Closed, but Creative:

While many folks across the country were setting up their home offices — or just waiting for the dust to settle before going back to work — I was busy cranking out self-care videos that I’d post to social media to try to keep the community healthy, and to keep my business visible and relevant. Any revenue I was able to generate from clicks or gift certificate sales didn’t go to my own personal bills. Instead, those meager (but helpful!) funds went to paying my business’s rent and utilities so that I could hopefully reopen and rebuild someday.

Keep in mind: you can’t do massage from 6 feet apart. And you certainly can’t do it curbside or online. I had absolutely no way of making any money for my family, but thanks to years of budgeting and saving for my business, I had enough stored away to keep it going until we could open again. It was MONTHS later when I finally received any financial assistance, which helped shore up the painful losses we experienced and the slump in sales that lasted the rest of that summer.

Thanks to my savings, creativity, and hard work, we survived. Barely. But we made it. And we’re stronger now than ever before.

Stronger Than Before:

Today my team is nearly double what it was just 2 years ago, and the average pay of a massage therapist here is roughly $40/hour — because a living wage is important not only the health of my team, but to the health and vitality of the community. These are high-paying jobs for people who don’t need a college degree, because all people deserve financial security, regardless of their education, gender, race, or zip code.

How it’s relevant to City Hall:

By staying true to my values, making smart decisions, prioritizing people over profits, sound budgeting, a vision for the future, finding the right resources and people to help along the way, and a heck of a lot of tenacity and elbow grease, I’ve cultivated a great place to work that provides healing and comfort to thousands of people in our community — and I want to bring that same kind of energy and philosophy to City Hall to help better the lives of everyone in our city.

Election Day is May 7, and I’m looking forward to working with you to rebuild the future of Denton together.