Leadership Isn't Just a Title. It's a Responsibility.

How My Experience in Business, Community Service, and Board Leadership Has Prepared Me to Serve Union County

When people ask me what qualifies me to serve on the Union County Board of Education, my answer goes far beyond a job title or a résumé.

It's the years I've spent leading people, managing budgets, navigating difficult decisions, solving problems, and understanding that every decision has a ripple effect.

Throughout my professional and volunteer experiences, I've learned that good leadership isn't about being the loudest voice in the room or always having the answer. It's about asking the right questions, listening to different perspectives, understanding the bigger picture, and making thoughtful decisions that serve more than just one individual or group.

That's the kind of leadership I believe our community deserves.

A Parent's Perspective With a Business Leader's Experience

While my professional and volunteer experiences have prepared me for leadership, being a parent gives this work an entirely different level of meaning.

I'm a mother with a child attending Union County Public Schools, and I'm married to an educator.

I understand that decisions made at the board level don't stay in a boardroom. They make their way into our classrooms, our homes, our daily routines, and ultimately our children's futures.

I also recognize that my family's experience is only one perspective.

What works for my household may not work for the family down the street, the parent working multiple jobs, the teacher struggling with limited resources, or the taxpayer without children in our schools.

That's why I believe it's so important to meet people where they are, invite them into conversations, and genuinely listen.

I don't expect everyone to agree with me, and I don't believe I should only seek input from people who do.

If I'm going to represent a community, I have a responsibility to understand the community—not just the people who share my opinions.

A more in depth look...

My professional background has prepared me to look at situations from multiple angles instead of approaching decisions with a predetermined answer.

I understand that there are times when people will disagree, and that's okay. Disagreement doesn't have to mean division.

We can listen to one another, evaluate information, and work toward solutions without losing respect for those who see things differently.

From Outback Steakhouse to Business Ownership: Learning Leadership From the Ground Up

My years with Outback Steakhouse, including my experience in restaurant ownership and operations, helped shape the leader I am today.

The restaurant industry is an incredible training ground for leadership. It's fast-paced, demanding, and filled with situations that require immediate problem-solving, financial responsibility, and the ability to work with people from every walk of life.

In that environment, I learned that every decision matters.

A decision about staffing doesn't just affect a schedule. It affects employees, their families, customer experiences, business operations, and the financial health of the organization.

I learned to manage competing priorities, make difficult decisions, lead teams with different personalities and perspectives, and take responsibility for the outcomes.

Perhaps most importantly, I learned that being fair doesn't always mean making everyone happy. It means taking the time to understand the facts, consider the people affected, and make decisions you can stand behind.

Those lessons have stayed with me throughout my career.

Leading Operations and Client Success in North Carolina

Today, I serve as Vice President of Operations & Client Success for Access Services, Inc., a staffing and workforce solutions company headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina.

In this role, I help oversee business operations, client relationships, workforce development, staffing strategies, and the people and processes that keep an organization moving forward.

Our work spans multiple industries and communities, and it requires balancing the needs of employees, employers, leadership teams, and the organizations we serve.

Every day, I'm reminded that challenges are rarely one-dimensional.

A decision that makes perfect sense financially may create operational challenges. A solution that works for one department may create unintended consequences for another. And sometimes, the quickest answer isn't the right answer.

My responsibility is to look beyond the immediate problem, ask questions, gather information, consider the long-term impact, and work toward sustainable solutions.

I don't believe in waiting until something becomes a crisis before addressing it. I believe in proactive planning, clear expectations, accountability, and follow-through.

These are not simply ideas I talk about during a campaign. They are principles I apply in my professional life.

Serving on the National Board of the National Scleroderma Foundation

One of the most meaningful parts of my leadership journey has been my involvement with the National Scleroderma Foundation.

After years of volunteer service and chapter leadership, I now serve on the Foundation's National Board of Directors, while also serving as Chair of the Southeast Chapter and Chair of the Chapter Leadership Council.

This experience has given me another perspective on what it means to lead responsibly.

Serving on a board is different from managing the day-to-day operations of a business.

Board members must think strategically, understand their responsibilities, consider financial sustainability, review information carefully, and make decisions that support the organization's mission and the people who depend on it.

It also means understanding that no single board member has all the answers.

You have to be willing to listen, collaborate, ask difficult questions, and sometimes respectfully disagree.

I've learned that strong boards benefit from different perspectives, professional backgrounds, and life experiences. Those differences should strengthen the conversation, not divide the people having it.

A board functions best when its members are willing to put the mission ahead of personal preferences, relationships, or individual agendas.

That is a responsibility I take seriously, and one I would carry with me to the Union County Board of Education.

Understanding That Every Decision Has a Ripple Effect

If there's one thing my experience has taught me, it's that decisions rarely affect just the people sitting in the room when they're made.

Consider a decision involving school attendance boundaries.

On paper, it may appear to be a matter of numbers, buildings, and available seats. But what does it mean for a family whose child now faces a longer commute? What does it mean for the teacher managing a larger classroom? How does it affect transportation, staffing, neighborhood schools, and taxpayers?

Or consider a budget decision.

It's not enough to know how much something costs. We should also be asking what value it provides, whether there are alternatives, what happens if we don't fund it, and how that decision affects students and educators across the district.

These are the kinds of questions I believe responsible board members should be asking.