I am a proud, lifelong resident of Shreveport and district 8. I graduated from Caddo Parish Magnet High School in 1989, went to LSUS, married a C. E. Byrd High School graduate, and raised my children here. Both of my children graduated from Caddo Parish high schools and are now attending LSU-Baton Rouge and thriving thanks to the education they received in Caddo Parish schools.

I obtained my B.A. in Public Relations from LSUS in 1995 and worked at KTBS in that field before having children. After my children were born and began attending school, I started my beloved volunteer career with Caddo Schools. I recognize the importance of parental involvement in the success of our schools, so I served as the PTA president of each school my children attended. I have served as PTA president at A.C. Steere Elementary, Caddo Middle Magnet, Caddo Parish Magnet High School, and president of the C.E. Byrd Foundation. I served without hesitation each time I was asked, and I was thankful for the opportunity. The everlasting connections that I have made with the teachers, staff, principals, students, and parents of Caddo Parish are some of my most treasured memories.

While continuing my volunteer career with area schools, I was fortunate enough to be hired by LSU Health Shreveport as the coordinator for the non-profit pediatric literacy program, Reach Out and Read. As an avid reader to my own children, this program fits perfectly in my belief that, beginning early, all children can benefit greatly from being read to every day. I worked in this rewarding position for eleven years, witnessing the benefits of the program as children who began Reach Out and Read as babies started kindergarten with larger vocabularies and ready to read themselves. Sadly I left this position in January due to state budget constraints.

Having a background in public relations, I recognize the importance of having a unified, positive voice in any organization. I feel as though the Caddo Parish School Board should have a unified, positive voice as well, and I know that is the only way that anything great can be accomplished. Every student in Caddo Parish deserves a school board who is for them and will do everything in its power to ensure that they succeed!

School Board Experience

I have been the proud representative of District 8 on the Caddo Parish School Board since 2020. Since taking office, I have prided myself in representing the residents of District 8 as well as all the students, parents, and staff in Caddo Parish. My passion for education and my love for my community and my city are what compel me to serve.

I have been working on several issues that affect our students: one of which is truancy. Our truancy numbers in Caddo have skyrocketed over the past two years. My eyes were opened to the problem last year when I was invited to truancy court by Judge Howell. Since that time, I have worked closely with the Volunteers for Youth Justice in securing a Caddo Parish School Board building to house The Harbor which is a “one stop shop” designed to help families and reduce our truancy numbers. Children cannot learn if they are not in the classroom!

I currently serve on the Truancy Task Force as well as the Joint Advisory Committee on Community Safety which coordinates with Clay Walker, the DA’s office, the City of Shreveport, the Shreveport Police Department, Sheriff Steve Prator, and the Shreveport Chamber of Commerce.

The future of Arthur Circle School, which was closed before I was elected, is something that I continuously work on. The school lies in the heart of Broadmoor and is a huge piece of our community and legacy. I am optimistic that we can come up with a solution that will benefit our neighborhood.

I am also a firm believer in the trade and technical schools. College is not and should not be the only choice for our students. There is an abundance of jobs in our community and elsewhere which need skilled workers and are offering high paying wages, the problem is that there are no skilled workers. We have a wonderful school, Caddo Career and Technical Center, which I would like to see expanded and have more students taking advantage of. This would benefit our students as well as our community!

These are just a few of the issues I work on everyday while serving on the CPSB. It has been my pleasure to serve and I would appreciate your support on November 8, 2022!