The RB Landmark sent questionnaires to each person running for public office in 2025. The Landmark’s questions are in bold and the candidate’s responses are below.
Political experience
None
Community experience
I have been a member of the Ames PTA and the am a member of the Riverside Juniors. I grew up in Riverside and work in the community too.
How will you balance Riverside’s history and Olmstedian design with future development? How do you balance development with conserving tax dollars?
This is always a tough thing to balance. However, we are elected to make these hard choices. My decisions will be based on the information I have and can gather on each particular issue.It’s important that a small, vocal minority does not have too much sway, but this also needs to be balanced with making sure that the majority have the best interests of Riverside and our residents in mind. It’s not about what I want, rather it’s about making sure that people feel heard and we are doing what we feel is right for Riverside. When we tax dollars, we have to make sure that we are doing what is right in the moment as well as planning for the future. This may mean spending more money in the short term to plan for future needs.
How do you perceive Riverside is changing? What is the village board’s role in creating change, preserving history, or blending those two things?
Riverside is becoming a younger community with more families and children. Oftentimes, this bumps up against the desire to preserve the historical nature of the town. Younger families are looking for more amenities and conveniences and this means change. We have to make sure that these changes are in keeping with the historical nature of Riverside while still providing the modern resources that families need today.
Should the village seek to develop more transit-oriented development, or is such development reaching a saturation point?
I think bike transit can be developed more in town with great benefit to the community.
What is the biggest challenge facing Riverside?
The biggest challenge we face right now is the deplorable conditions in which our first responders work. They do not have adequate space for sleeping, showering, and eating on duty and the actual workspaces are falling apart and unacceptable. We have to address the needs of the people that keep this town safe.
As a member of the village board, how will you respond to Trump-administration policies at the local level?
We will respond to each thing as it come up.