I am 27 years old, putting me on the upper end of Gen Z. As a member of a generation who views climate change as an existential threat, values cooperation and social responsibility, and is overwhelmingly pro-union, I believe Evanston would benefit from having my perspective on City Council.

I have over 10 years of experience in government, policy, and communications. My work in government started in 2015, when I joined an IL State Senator’s office to address a neglected nuclear power plant on the shores of Lake Michigan in Zion, IL. I then managed publications for a university sustainability and energy management center for 4 years, leading a team of writers and coordinating with engineers and administrators.

Today, I work for the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Board of Commissioners, where I’ve evaluated a $1.7 billion annual budget, capital improvement projects, procurement bids, and environmental justice projects. I’ve also advised the commissioner on negotiating collective bargaining agreements within the budget. I’m confident in my ability to make fiscally sound, strategic choices for the people of Evanston.

I currently spend at least 15 hours a week volunteering for nonprofit and Democratic Party groups. I am more than happy to reallocate that time to serving as City Council Member.

More than anything, I value being accessible and responsive. I view public service as a great honor, not a burden of civic duty that we’re thrust into. Beyond having more municipal experience than other candidates in the race, I have a strong reputation for being cooperative, reasonable, and focused on results. At the end of the day, I will listen to residents and hold myself accountable directly to voters, and I believe that will make the biggest difference in our community.

I believe lakefront stabilization is important as a step to maintain outdoor space for residents, prevent further soil/sand erosion, and prevent potentially risky flooding. While I hope that 2020 and 2021 were unusually high, I'm not going to rule out that we don't need to prepare for high water again over the next 10-20 years, especially with unpredictable weather and climate change. With the lake currently at low levels, this is the time to prepare.

I choose to believe the experts when it comes to lakefront data. Also, some of the suggested park improvements, like the Sheridan Road walking path, have implications for pedestrian safety and making our lakefront more pleasant to use. I'm personally excited about some of these updates, so long as we responsibly budget for them.

I'll hold twice-monthly office hours in both mornings and evenings, and I'll have quarterly ward meetings, plus additional town halls added for impactful issues. I'll expand digital options for public feedback like virtual meetings and surveys. I will also send twice-monthly newsletters to cover City Council meetings. Beyond that, all residents should have access to my cell phone number and email address.

I plan to regularly canvass small businesses and host parent-listening sessions for updates and feedback. I'll be present at local events, business openings, and celebrations.

Overall, the unique pressures of the historic district, transit needs, parking availability, affordability and safety call for the city to pass plans concurrent with zoning reform. We cannot do this badly, and we must be proactive about addressing the challenges of population growth. We must create a transit improvement plan to reduce dependency on cars, and we need a series of reforms and pro-affordability policies. Zoning changes alone threaten the balance we have in the 3rd Ward between urban and residential living, and we owe it to residents to consider all other necessary preparations.

I would like to see greater transit-oriented development along Chicago Avenue that acknowledges the reality that many people still need cars. The current plans in Envision Evanston do not address the differing contexts on the east and west sides of the street, especially north of Lee. The current zoning along Chicago Avenue is too complicated with too many different zoning types, but we need to recognize some differentiation.

Our development plan needs to encourage a smooth transition from the most urban developments to the low impact residential. That is not achievable if 100 foot developments on the east side of Chicago Avenue directly border single family homes on Hinman Avenue. I am excited by the prospect of greater transit oriented development along the train tracks, but it has to smartly take into account the character of the adjoining neighborhoods. I also believe we should emphasize development between Chicago Avenue and Ridge, since that’s another major transportation corridor, not development closer to the lake.

I support transportation infrastructure that gives Evanstonians the greatest degree of options and decreases our car dependency. I strongly support improvements to Evanston’s bicycle infrastructure including the new bicycle lane on Chicago Avenue. However, I would like to see modifications to the new bicycle lane project that includes the needs of traffic safety and the businesses on Chicago Avenue. For example, we need crosswalks for pedestrian safety and more loading zones to avoid bottlenecks in traffic due to stopped trucks. We can improve the signs around parking lots so shoppers have options besides street parking.

Evanston needs to encourage the creation of missing middle housing suitable to young families. For the 3rd Ward specifically, we’d benefit from increased ADUs and allowing retrofits of large homes into multiple units.

I support a “right of first refusal” for renters to buy their homes when the owner sells, so we can encourage homeownership. I would fight to hold developers accountable for building more family-sized units, designated places for deliveries to avoid stopping traffic, and expanding green space alongist developments. I support increasing affordability requirements to 20% and disincentivizing the practice of paying fees in lieu of providing affordable housing to Evanston.

Additionally, I support measures that put downward pressure on rents and protect occupants; “affordable” housing should not mean poor quality housing. We should expand rental registrations, collect more data, issue fines to property managers in violation of the landlord-tenant ordinance and building code, and curb excessive fees on occupants.

I believe we can achieve our housing goals through low-impact housing infill, at least in the 3rd Ward. Zoning reform on Chicago Avenue should allow four-story buildings along the east side of the street from Dempster Street to South Boulevard and six-story buildings along the west side near the train tracks.

R1 zoning districts should restrict buildings to 3 stories and be mindful of preserving historic homes.

We can address our parking woes by making it easier to navigate our city on foot, with bicycles, and on public transit — this will reduce competition for parking and address the reality that a car-free lifestyle is not yet widely achievable. We should have better visibility for existing parking lots, create resident-only parking zones where needed, and create more short-term loading zones.

I want to implement a progressive wheel tax on very large vehicles and households that have multiple cars, then use those funds for transit improvements. I’d like to see accessible train stations, bus stop shelters, and bike parking. We can also increase pedestrian safety by building raised crosswalks on Chicago Ave and Sheridan Rd, improving existing speed bumps, enforcing speed limits, and adding curb extensions that double as native plant gardens.