Please list your occupation.
I am a family law attorney, specializing in high conflict custody cases, child abuse/neglect cases, and guardian ad litem work.
Please list your connections to or involvement with CMS (children in the district, PTO experience, etc.).
As a longtime resident of Mecklenburg County and an active member of the community, I’ve worked closely with families whose children attend CMS and have seen firsthand the impact of district policies on students, teachers, and parents. My professional and volunteer experiences have given me a strong understanding of the challenges and opportunities within CMS.
Please list your political experience and any education or political advocacy groups you’re affiliated with.
My political and civic involvement centers on service and advocacy rather than partisanship. I currently serve as Vice President of the York County Bar Association and have been active in local leadership and outreach roles within the South Carolina Bar. I’ve also participated in charitable efforts to support underserved children and families in our community. These experiences have strengthened my commitment to transparent governance and effective policy at the local level.
Please list any other relevant professional experience.
I am an attorney with extensive experience in family law, focusing on issues that directly impact children and families such as custody, education, and child welfare. My work requires collaboration with schools, social service agencies, and community organizations to find solutions that serve the best interests of children. I also serve as Vice President of the York County Bar Association and Co-Chair of the South Carolina Bar Young Lawyers Division Outreach Committee.
Why do you want to serve on the school board?
I want to serve on the Board of Education to be a voice for parents and families who want to see our schools put students first. I’ve spent my career helping children and families navigate difficult situations, and I’ve seen how important a strong, supportive education system is to their success. I believe CMS can and should do better for our teachers, our parents, and most importantly, our children. I want to help restore trust, raise expectations, and make sure every child has the opportunity to succeed.
Name one thing you feel CMS currently does well and one thing you would push the district to improve.
CMS has made great strides in expanding opportunities for students with career and technical education and early college partnerships. Where I think the district can improve is in their transparency and communication. I would strive to improve communication with our parents to restore trust and transparency in decision-making.
In your opinion, what is the CMS school board’s most important function?
The most important functions of the CMS school board is to set the vision, policies and budget priorities that directly impact students, teachers, and families. It’s role is to ensure that the superintendent and district leadership are held accountable for results, and decisions that affect our students and their outcomes.
What do you think should be CMS’ biggest funding priority? Where should that funding come from?
CMS’ biggest funding priority absolutely has to be to support the people and programs that are directly responsible for student success, our teachers. We need to ensure that we have competitive teacher pay, retain top talent, and make sure that our students and teachers have access to high quality instructional materials that will put their success at the forefront. Funding should come from local and state resources, but more importantly, we should ensure that the funding received is spent efficiently and transparently with student outcomes as the focus.
There has recently been uncertainty around school funding from both the state and federal levels. What actions, if any, should the school board take to navigate this uncertainty?
While the school board can’t control where the money comes from and whether it is received, they can control how the funding received is spent. The board should focus on eliminating wasteful spending and ensure that the funds received are allocated on student outcomes and not bloated bureaucracy.
How can the board support the closing of performance gaps between high- and low-performing students?
The board can support those students with high quality instruction by making sure that these students receive early intervention and teacher support. The district should ensure that students receive tutoring that is targeted to improve the areas where they may be struggling. Most importantly, the board can make sure that students and teachers alike have access to the resources needed for them to be successful.
The share of students enrolled in public schools is shrinking while private schools and charters have grown in recent years. How should CMS react?
Parents are making decisions that they feel are best for their children and family. We should work to improve trust with our parents to show them that CMS deserves to be the first option for their families. We can do this by improving student outcomes in reading, writing and math. If our families see that we are delivering strong results in our public schools, then CMS will return to being the choice they turn to for their children.