You 1) Tell us about yourself, your family and why you are running? I was born in Johannesburg, South Africa of Dutch parents, grew up near Edmonton, Alberta, and have been a Colorado resident for over 30 years. After an undergraduate degree in molecular biology from CU Boulder and graduate work in computational biology at CU Denver, I ran my own software development company for 5 years before moving to enterprise software development. I’m currently a Chief Product Owner at Maxar, Inc. in Westminster, where I coordinate software development for a group that creates advanced products from our satellite imagery. My two teenage daughters and I have been in Erie since 2007, where we enjoy the mountain views, the small-town feeling, and easy access to all that Denver and Boulder have to offer. I have been a Trustee for the Town of Erie since 2018; public service has been an incredibly rewarding, yet challenging endeavor. Erie is at yet another crossroads; I am running for Mayor of Erie because I believe we still have time to pivot from a bedroom community to a thriving self-sustaining city that is both economically and environmentally sustainable.
2) Why should the community put their trust in you and what will you do to unite the community, stopping the disrespect towards those with different opinions?
In my time as Trustee for the Town, I have held true to my beliefs and the platform upon which I ran, advocating above all else for our residents’ health, safety, and welfare. I’m the only Board member that has attended every Board of Trustees regular meeting since I was elected. I am a committed public servant. I stood alone in my opposition to the Crestone operator agreement because none of the provisions of the agreement were sufficient to prevent a recurrence of the noise and odor nuisances of previous operations. I have the conviction to stand up for my principles and our community. I am proud of the integrity I bring to the office of Trustee, and will continue to do the same as Mayor. As a Trustee, I’ve already dealt with a number of contentious issues, from oil & gas to open carry at Town facilities and downtown parking. I look to the framework that we’ve already built with the Town Administrator for public engagement to proactively identify such issues and add extensive community involvement to issues that warrant it. However, we need to learn from our past missteps, such as with Crestone operator agreement and the engagement with the Republican Women of Weld. Clear communication, clear expectations, and open community involvement are all central to ensuring residents’ views are heard and incorporated into the Board’s decisions.
O&G 3) What is your plan for putting health and safety first, related to Oil & Gas operations in neighborhoods and near schools? We must put an end to the practice of residential drilling; if only we treated unconventional oil & gas exploration like any other industry, the practice would cease to exist. I’ve testified at numerous COGCC hearings and legislative sessions, consistently calling for an end to residential drilling. I believe in a just transition from fossil fuels to carbon-free renewables; I’ll vigorously support programs that ensure the workers that have given so much to heat our homes, fuel our cars, and ensure our energy independence can transfer their skills to other industries. >>>