Emergency Response

A very thoughtful and important question was posed to me this afternoon by my campaign manager.

Would I be able to uphold the responsibilities and duties of mayor in light of the fact that I have a small child, family, and ongoing business obligations?


I would like to begin first by expressing my deep and sincere gratitude to Charlie Everts, Phil Hopkins, Cindy and Tim Cullather and all the Aldermen for the superb way in which they handled the Hurricane season and the post Ike recovery. Tiki Island suffered greatly but with your swift and tireless efforts Tiki Island is coming back even stronger and better. Again, I would like to personally thank Charlie for his many years of devotion to and hard work on behalf of Tiki Island and her residents.

As many of you know Charlie will be stepping down as Mayor of Tiki Island due to term limits. Now it is time for an election. I am asking you to support me as your 'write- in' candidate for major.

Let me be the first to say that my opponent, Mr. Phil Hopkins, is a good, kind and considerate man . I had the pleasure of serving on TICA with him. He has given much to this community and I am proud to call him a fellow Tiki Islander.

I have been approached by a group of long time Tiki residents to run for Mayor. After listening to their interests, issues and concerns I made the decision to consider their request. My first concern was the tremendous responsibility that comes with the job and am I willing to make the necessary commitment to the office that Charlie Everts has done so well over the years. My husband, Paul, and I have been on the Island for over a decade - first as weekenders, then as empty nester residents and now as residents with a young family. During this time, I have had the opportunity to watch our island grow from a sleepy little fishing village to a flourishing and diverse community that is now home to many families and children. This growth did not come without some growing pains, however, with hard work and commitment from the grassroots to the Mayors office Tiki has become the 'Jewel on the Gulf Coast'.

Having had many opportunities to observe Charlie at work first hand, and after many thoughtful conversations with him, I understand how hard he has worked from the many meetings he must attend, to the emergency phone calls in the middle of the night. The true testament to the man came when we were faced with hurricane Ike. He put Tiki first. He was the last man to leave and the first one back. He has done a superb job along with many other individuals including Phil Hopkins, Cindy and Tim Cullather, just to name a few, in the aftermath .

Fortunately, Paul and I have a super support network of family and friends. For this reason we were able to leave our son in Houston and make an immediate return to Tiki. We were among the first to return to the island and focus on the task at hand. After a quick survey we knew we were facing a logistical nightmare. We had deep concerns for some of our beloved neighbors -how were they going to be able to handle the clean-up? We turned to that wonderful network of friends and fellow Tiki Islanders and were able to mobilize a work force and procure vans and other vehicles to get them on and off the Island and cut down on traffic. I have never been more proud in my life, proud of my neighbors, of Bora Bora and Tiki Island.

We worked long and hard, shoulder to shoulder, house to house, together we, the grassroots, were able to bring our street back quickly. Was it uncomfortable those first few days following the storm? We had no electricity, no water, no stairs, a blanket for a front door - yes it was uncomfortable. Was it worth it? Yes. We had a duty to stay, a duty to help, and a duty to start the rebuilding process. This is our home! We live on an island filled with strong good citizens and friends whom we love deeply in our hearts.

Let me assure everyone of the one thing you can count on. As Mayor, in a time of crisis, our son will be moved to safety out of harms way and I will be here on Tiki Island, with my husband at my side, to deal with the task at hand.

After much thought, prayer and discussion with my husband (who whole heartily supports me), I make this decision to run for Mayor of Tiki Island.