I was raised on a Dairy Farm. Like all farm kids, when not in School, I was helping out milking cows and doing a wide variety of chores. During the summer, I earned money to pay for my school clothes and supplies by picking Willamette Valley strawberries, beans and cucumbers.

I worked on the green chain at a local plywood mill while attending college. Like many lumber and plywood mills in rural Oregon, it no longer exists. After graduating from College at Oregon State University, I started a landscaping business, which I ran for over 20 years.

Here are some of my accomplishments as an elected official:

As Tillamook County Commissioners we:

• Developed the Southern Flow Corridor, which reduced flooding and developed marshland restoration. This is one of the largest restoration efforts in Oregon and recently received a national award.
• We worked with ODOT to develop three flood bypass bridges in Tillamook County, which allowed for access to communities north of the city of Tillamook during flooding events.
• We are working on ways to provide affordable workforce housing by giving incentives to homebuilders by streamlining our land-use ordinances. We also donate tax foreclosed property to the Habitat to Humanity.

As a State Representative:

• I worked with ODOT to develop and repair the Arch Cape Tunnel.
• I was one of three legislators (myself, Representative Chuck Norris (now deceased) and then senate president Bill Bradbury) who wrote the language creating Watershed Councils.
• I passed legislation allowing for the creation of Flood Control Districts. These Districts work to control flooding along the Oregon Coast and the Columbia River.
• I worked with the Oregon Humane society to pass legislation that made aggravated animal abuse a Felony.

My time in office shows that I believe in giving back to my community:

I have worked on Habitat for Humanity homes and continue to donate monthly to several worthwhile non-profit organizations such as: Habitat for Humanity, The Women’s Resource Center, North Coast Land Conservancy, Oregon Public Broadcasting, Tillamook Association of Performing Arts, Bay City Arts Center, the OSU Foundation and United Way.