Opening Statement
Addressing the caucus members, outlining the vision for proactive community support.
Good afternoon everyone—
In the midst of all the worldly chaos and frigid weather, I'm grateful for everyone being here today. I'd like to start by speaking a word of reverence to honor the late Dan Combs and offer my sincere condolences to his family and those who knew him well. As I've shared my candidate statement with each of the precinct chairs, I mentioned my brief (albeit meaningful) interaction with Trustee Combs, where we sat on a 4-person panel hosted by the IU Habitat Chapter titled: Fighting for Stability in the Face of Insecurity: Approaches to Housing Insecurity in Bloomington. [insert grad paper joke]. While precise quotes or words of advisement from Trustee Combs in that moment 3 years ago elude me: his boldness, authenticity, AND conviction for DOING for the community certainly do not.
I left that experience emboldened by a living example to aspire to (as a community leader):
To be bold. Authentic. and Speak truth to power.
My desire to be Perry Township's next Trustee stem from a life-long commitment to doing, leading, and most of all serving my community: this has been the entirety of my life and professional career here in Bloomington. So why should you choose me? Well—let me tell you:
The truth of the matter is, [without realizing it in the midst of my doing] I've been preparing for this role for the last 16 years: I've been engaged in the social service, housing, and support service infrastructure as a participant, case manager and administrative leader (from bottom to top, and top to bottom). And yet beyond—I've lived a life guided by the sensibilities of being a product of a single parent household, witnessing my mother navigate systems of childcare, housing, and nutritional assistance—sensibilities that guided my development of a case management style for our local family shelter that has continuously supported a success rate of 80% or greater (2.5x times greater than the national average). I understand intimately, (1) what it takes to get people housed, (2) keep people housed, and (3) usher supports of critical time intervention—so necessary, when individuals present with hardship or crisis.
I've worked directly with every social service provider & non-profit that the Perry Township currently collaborates with (AND MORE); e.g. ILS, Ireland, SCCAP, CASA), and ADDITIONALLY have a deep established knowledge of the resources and supports provided by BOTH: (1) our local government (City Hall, Heading Home) and (2) the various local offices of state-level departments (FSSA, APS, DCS)—Including mental health resources. In this respect, I am very in-tune with the mental workspace and duties of the township front office staff and bring an additional wealth of expertise on: (a) the administration of HUD government programs, (b) Federal assistance Programs, and federal grants that shape the landscape of things to be considered in making decisions on the provision of client assistance.
I am in-tune as well—with the higher level of managing agency affairs, including:
As Administrative Director at the BHA: (a) I've managed budgets comprised of many different buckets of government funding (and the rules, reporting, and critical deadlines that comes along with it); (b) I've written for and managed grants to fund new social service programs and initiatives; (c) I'm also well attuned to the tedious level of financial tracking required for government office affairs (including vendor payouts for corporate entities like Utility and property management companies.... and the tax documentation, and other relevant compliance involved); (d) I've also managed Request for Proposals and procurement processes in the due diligence of acquisition of material resources, (e) AND understand the responsibilities of managing the upkeep of capital assets (of which the Perry Township has quite a few); and I know all to well... the managing of inter-agency collaboration (that comes with those assets) and drafting legally sound MOUs and contracts to protect interests of all involved. In short—I've had a lot of responsibility.
My attempt here today was to make more explicit for you my capacities and experience and hope that I have also made clear my conviction and commitment to service. I ask for your vote of confidence to do the job and to lead the Township office with dignity, respect, a spirit of collaboration, and a commitment to team and community. Thank you.
Closing Statement
Engaging with the Perry Township community leaders and residents.
Thank you all for your questions and taking great care and concern in vetting our potential to do the work. Before I leave you today, I would like to stress that I understand (first hand) how to navigate and overcome poverty & hardship—and the coaching, resources and supports that are effective tools that can enable that journey.
My final thoughts to share are that: I'm a "do-er" and a “Creator”... I'm a stickler for justice... and I'm driven by a compassion to do the most good, each and every day. If I'm given a responsibility, I only know of one way to do it: to give it my best, give it my all.
I've heard the saying that "grace presents itself not only in the presence of merit, but also in the face of demerit"—I believe in accountable grace. A grace that says that no one is immune to hardship and that even those that struggle and make mistakes deserve food, shelter, care, concern and a path toward stability. I will keep these concerns paramount and at the fore of my efforts to strengthen the social safety net here in our community.
Together with neighboring townships, I promise not to just be an advocate for the township system at large, but every person in the Perry Township jurisdiction and our neighbors beyond. God Bless.