My Approach

Working together for vernon

My Commitment to Vernon

I do not pretend to have all the answers. What I can promise is that I will do the work.

I will come prepared, ask thoughtful questions, listen to the people who understand the issues and those affected by them, consider different perspectives, and look at the facts and evidence before making decisions.

For more than 30 years, I have worked in complex environments where decisions involved competing priorities, significant financial considerations, risk, and impacts on many different people. Those experiences have taught me that good leadership is not about being the expert on every issue. It is about knowing how to listen, ask the right questions, draw on expertise, understand the options and make informed decisions.

That is the approach I would bring to Vernon City Council.

What can you count on from me on Vernon City Council?

Community. Collaboration. Results

“Community means listening to and considering the needs of the entire community and making decisions with Vernon’s long-term interests in mind.

Collaboration means recognizing that good ideas can come from anywhere and bringing the right people and perspectives together to find solutions.

Results mean being clear about what we are trying to achieve, measuring our progress and being accountable for the outcomes.”

Community means keeping the bigger picture in mind.
Council decisions affect people across Vernon in different ways. We will not always be able to make everyone happy, and sometimes Council will need to make difficult choices.
I believe we have a responsibility to consider the needs of the whole community and the long-term consequences of the decisions we make.

Collaboration means listening, learning and working together.
Many of the challenges facing Vernon are complex and will not be solved by one councillor, one organization, or even the City alone.
I believe in bringing the right people into the conversation, listening to residents and those affected by decisions, drawing on the expertise of City staff and community partners, understanding different perspectives, and learning from what has worked in other communities.

Results mean making informed decisions and being accountable for progress.
Council’s role is to set direction, establish priorities, make responsible policy and budget decisions, and provide good governance and oversight.
I believe Council needs to ask whether our plans are achieving what we intended, understand what has changed, and be prepared to adjust when something is not working.

Community is who we serve. Collaboration is how we work.

Results are how we know we are making a difference.

Building An Even Better Vernon

Vernon is already an incredible place to live, and I want to help make it even better.

We are not starting from scratch. Thousands of residents contributed to Vernon’s Official Community Plan, and important plans and strategies are already in place around housing, transportation, recreation and other priorities.

Those plans provide a strong foundation, but having plans in place does not mean every decision has already been made or that circumstances will not change.

I believe Council’s role is to understand the plans that are in place, ask whether they continue to meet the needs of our community, establish priorities, make responsible decisions about limited public resources, and monitor progress.

Building an even better Vernon means building on our strengths, addressing our challenges, and making thoughtful decisions that consider the needs of our whole community.