Park Rapids 2026 Election Guide

Incumbent

KAXE did not receive a response from this candidate.

Age on Election Day: 53

Employment: Calvary Lutheran Church, Synod Authorized Minister

Please share any prior experience and education that you believe qualifies you for office.

I’ve served on the Park Rapids City Council since 2016, gaining ten years of experience working on issues, opportunities, and challenges facing our community. I currently serve on the Planning Commission, City Finance Committee, and Heartland Lakes Economic Development Commission, and previously served on several other city boards and commissions.
After graduating from Park Rapids High School, I earned an undergraduate degree in Physical Education and Master's of Education. I spent 18 years teaching in Nevis, Minnesota, teaching various subjects and serving in multiple capacities. I later earned a degree in Design, with concentrations in Graphic and Exhibit/Experience Design.
My education, professional experience, and public service have taught me to listen, communicate, collaborate, solve problems, and bring people with different perspectives together. I believe these experiences have prepared me well to serve as Mayor of Park Rapids.

Why are you running?

Park Rapids is a community worth investing in. We need to protect what makes Park Rapids special while preparing for the future. Growth and change must be considered and managed carefully so it remains a safe, welcoming, and thriving community where people can build a life, pursue opportunities, enjoy retirement, visit and explore, and feel they belong. The challenge is maintaining our quality of life while continuing to invest in streets and infrastructure, parks and public spaces, local businesses, housing, recreation, and opportunities for all residents. This means continuing to create a community where families want to live, people who grew up here can come home, older residents remain connected and engaged, and businesses have confidence to grow.
I am running because I care deeply about Park Rapids and want to help build a safe, strong, welcoming, and opportunity-filled future.

Why should voters elect you?

I care deeply about Park Rapids and am genuinely invested in its future. I don't volunteer for recognition or the title of Council Member or board member. I volunteer because the success of Park Rapids matters.
I pay attention. I continually look beyond our city, actively staying aware of challenges facing other communities across Minnesota and the country and considering what we can learn from their experiences and decisions.
I believe thoughtful planning, economic development, strong local businesses, quality parks and public spaces, responsible growth, and making Park Rapids a community where people want to live, visit, work, and invest are vital to our future.
I bring experience, curiosity, and a willingness to listen, learn, and do the work. Leadership isn’t about having all the answers. Leadership is being engaged, asking the right questions, working together, making informed decisions, and staying focused on the long-term success of Park Rapids.

Please describe the roles and responsibilities of the office you are running for.

As mayor, my responsibility is to provide steady, thoughtful leadership while being a good steward of city resources. A mayor should be fiscally responsible and careful with taxpayer dollars, helping the council make sound decisions that serve Park Rapids today and in the future.
The mayor should lead council meetings fairly and effectively, ensuring proper procedure is followed and council members and residents have an opportunity to be heard. Strong communication with city staff is essential to efficiency and accountability, as is meaningful engagement with the community.
A mayor should represent the city with pride and professionalism, recognizing the role city staff, residents, businesses, and community organizations play in making Park Rapids strong.
Finally, a mayor must pay attention to both everyday details and the bigger picture: maintaining safe streets and sidewalks, providing welcoming parks and green space, and effective, affordable services while making responsible decisions for future generations.

Name a public leader you admire and explain why.

I admire Deborah, a judge in the book of Judges, found in the Old Testament of the Bible. She was a leader of poise, wisdom, measured words and unwavering resolve. What I admire most is her quiet strength. Deborah understood the suffering of her people, what needed to change, and had the courage to act. She brought people together, gave them confidence, and led with both strength and compassion.
Her leadership was not about seeking power or recognition. She was focused on justice, purpose and restoring peace. She was willing to speak about difficult truths, but her goal was not to tear people down. Deborah's goal was to move people forward.
I believe good public leadership requires the same qualities: listening carefully, seeing both the possibilities and challenges that lie ahead, having the courage to make difficult decisions, and always remembering that leadership is about serving others.

What are the three biggest issues your city is facing?

1. Financial Health
2. Growth in the areas of economic development, housing and workforce.
3. Maintaining and updating infrastructure, streets, utilities without putting more burden on the taxpayer?

Which of those three issues is most important to you, and how would you address it if elected?

I don’t know that I can pick just one because the issues are interconnected. How do we manage growth of the city while protecting the quality and small-town charm of Park Rapids, and pay for what is needed without further burdening the taxpayers? New housing developments like Heartland Heights can expand our tax base and bring needed housing, but growth also brings added responsibilities for streets, sidewalks, parks, police, fire and other city services. Costs of these additional needs must be considered ahead of time rather than reacted to after the fact.
If elected I would continue to focus on thoughtful, responsible growth, carefully considering and evaluating development, infrastructure needs and long-term costs while pursuing available funding and partnerships as the city has done in the past. Growth should strengthen the quality of life for our residents and not diminish the qualities that make Park Rapids special.

What steps, if any, would you take to support or oppose data centers?

The development of data centers is concerning to me. While I certainly recognize the need for them, and the jobs and economic activity they can provide, I would not support the development of a data center in Park Rapids.
In talking with city staff, they have indicated that Park Rapids does not have the land or infrastructure to support a facility of that scale. More importantly, given the potential environmental impacts and the demands a data center can place on water, energy, utilities and other infrastructure, I don't believe a data center is "a good fit" for the community of Park Rapids.
I support economic development that brings jobs and investment to Park Rapids while protecting what makes the City of Park Rapids special: the lakes and forests, wildlife and fish, natural resources, small-town charm and, most importantly, the people who live here.

Many Northern Minnesota cities are experiencing tightening budgets. Where would you propose making cuts, if needed?

Budgeting is about trade-offs. Sometimes, through careful study and consideration we may find what we thought we couldn't live without can be delayed, reduced or approached differently.
If cuts were needed, I would first look for efficiencies and savings before reducing essential city services. Proposed projects and large purchases, such as facility updates or vehicle replacements may need to be delayed or phased into a future year when it might be more practical. City insurance policies and other contracts should be regularly reviewed and competitively shopped to ensure we are receiving the best value.
I would also ask department heads to take another hard look at their budgets and identify areas where spending could be reduced without compromising essential services. Ultimately, every taxpayer dollar should be considered and spent carefully. Difficult budget decisions should be made with both today's needs and the city's long-term financial health in mind.