About Me

If you have spent time here, you have probably seen me on my bike. Out toward Cades Cove on a Wednesday morning, or riding through town on a Tuesday afternoon, or jumping in the river on a hot day. The "Neighbor on a Bike" is not a campaign image. It is just how I have lived here. Present. Accessible. Part of the place.

Professionally, I am a paralegal and operations professional.

I have spent my career supporting executive leadership, managing complex information, and making sure decisions are grounded in facts rather than assumptions.

Attention to detail, accountability, discretion: those are exactly the skills this moment in Townsend requires.

Why I Am Running

I live here. I moved back to Townsend from Knoxville six years ago because this is where I want to spend my life. That means I have skin in the game and I pay attention.

When I started noticing things that did not add up, I did what I thought any resident would do. I went to my first city council meeting. I had never been to one in my life. I did not fully understand what was happening. I was the only person there who was not already part of the process.

I came back. And then others started coming too.

Over time I served on the Community Plan Advisory Committee. I now sit on the Townsend Planning Commission. I have seen firsthand how decisions get made and sometimes how they stall.

The county land use map is 25 years old.

The Conceptual Land Use Map for Blount County was adopted by the Blount County Planning Commission on March 23, 2000. It was designed with a 20-year horizon — to the year 2020. That horizon has passed. The county ordered an update in 2022. As of early 2026, it still has not been adopted.

Source: Blount County Planning Commission — Conceptual Land Use Map, Adopted March 23, 2000. Designed for a 20-year horizon to 2020. A replacement has been in process since 2022 and remains unadopted as of early 2026.

The zoning map is just as old.

The official Townsend Zoning Map was adopted in February 2005 and last revised in September 2022. The base map is now 21 years old. The zoning districts it defines were drawn for a town that looked very different from the one facing $26 million in new infrastructure today.

Source: City of Townsend Official Zoning Map — Adopted February 2005, Revised September 2022. Prepared by East Tennessee Development District (ETDD).

I have caught heat from both sides of this debate, which probably means I am somewhere close to the right place.

My friend Houston Oldham is doing something remarkable. The Dancing Bear, The Social, and everything he is building — he is proving that you can run a thriving hospitality business without losing what makes Townsend worth visiting. That is leadership.

The Fillmores have given us The Abbey — a beautiful place that fits this landscape and this community.

The Headricks at Highland Manor have been here for decades, running a distinguished business and giving back in ways that matter: hosting our 4th of July celebration every year, year after year. That is what being part of a town looks like.

I want more businesses like these — ones that serve visitors without trying to turn Townsend into somewhere else.

What I do not want is development that ignores the character of the place, outpaces the infrastructure, or happens before the planning is done. That is not anti-business. That is just common sense.

I want to be honest about something: District 8B is more than Townsend. I know that. There are residents across this district whose concerns I take just as seriously, and whose voices deserve the same seat at the table.

But Townsend is our crown jewel. It is what makes this place worth protecting. And as I step into this role, my commitment to protecting it does not shrink. It grows to include every corner of the district.

The Republican Primary is May 5, 2026. Early voting runs April 15–30. I would be honored to earn your vote.

Share this with a neighbor in District 8B.