In 2021, I joined the Board of Directors for Mental Health America Fredericksburg Region —known as MHAfred. For the past three years, I’ve been honored to serve as the Board President, elected by my peers.
MHAfred is a small but impactful nonprofit that provides vital mental health services to our community. We operate the MHAfred HELPLINE, which connects people with local mental health providers. This is a service used regularly by our SCPS social workers to help families get the support they need. We also provide suicide prevention education in schools, peer-led support groups, and a senior visitor program that connects older adults with volunteers to combat loneliness.
As Board President, I’ve had the chance to lead through growth, change, and challenge. One of my priorities has been strengthening how the organization operates. We developed formal administrative resolutions to guide Board and staff actions—bringing greater consistency, reducing risk, and making expectations clear for everyone involved. These tools have made our Board more effective and have given new members and staff a clearer path to success.
One of the most challenging experiences came just recently, when the Board had to lead an executive director transition. I guided the process: updating the job description, reviewing resumes, scheduling and conducting interviews, and negotiating a final contract (while concurrently running for this office). It was a heavy lift—but because of strong collaboration and shared purpose, we were able to complete the search successfully and smoothly.
So what does all of this have to do with serving on the School Board?
This experience has taught me what it means to lead a mission-driven organization with limited resources and high community impact. At MHAfred, we don’t just approve policies—we research and write them ourselves. I’ve lived the process of developing governance tools from scratch. This gives me a deep appreciation for the time and effort it takes to do that work—something that will make me a more thoughtful and empathetic partner to school staff and administration.
One of the most important responsibilities a School Board has is hiring and supporting the Superintendent. I have spoken with Dr. Mitchell and genuinely value his process-driven, collaborative leadership. As your representative, I’ll continue to support strong leadership while also ensuring we’re always prepared for the future. I bring firsthand experience leading a high-stakes executive search, and I know how critical transparency, teamwork, and sound judgment are when it comes to making decisions that impact our schools and our students.
At the end of the day, students deserve School Board members with broad, real-world leadership experience—people who’ve rolled up their sleeves to serve the community, built consensus among diverse groups, and made tough decisions with care and integrity.
I’m proud of the work I’ve done with MHAfred. And now I’m ready to bring those skills—and that same commitment—to our students, our teachers, our families, and our entire school community.
Note: This post should not be seen as an MHAfred endorsement of my campaign.
