Nelson is a beautiful city that has everything going for it. We have dynamic individuals, strong communities and natural surroundings that are second to none.
We must protect what we have and develop this city in a way that has “quality of life for all” as it’s central value. To achieve economic progress we’re going to need creativity, innovation and a willingness to think outside the square.

Let’s develop our infrastructure with the future in mind and embrace sustainable development. We should celebrate our sports, creative and arts cultures and prioritise projects that encourage community cohesion and that make Nelson a more fun and interesting place to live.

I am ready to bring my skills as an inspired doer to the council table. I am 44 years old, Nelson born and bred and moved back here with my family in 2003 after 13 years in business in The Netherlands.

My formative years were spent living in a very progressive, socially focused and culturally rich environment. During that period I worked for such organisations as the Dutch Ministry for Social Design, the Ministry of Woman’s Affairs and the Multi Ethnic Ministry.

I have a business background in both advertising/design and event management. I have served on the Nelson Regional Land Transport Strategy Committee, Regional Cycle forum, worked with the Victory Community and the Nelson Environment Centre.
I believe the coming years will bring new challenges. There are tremendous opportunities imbedded in times of change, and I would be honoured to serve the Nelson community in this formative period of our history.

I aim to:
•    look for new opportunities to grow our economic base
•    explore private/public partnerships as opportunities  for job creation and new community facilities
•    encourage resourcefulness and prudent council spending
•    address housing and rates affordability
•    support and expand our tourism and international study sectors
•    strengthen our communities and inspire our young people
•    safeguard our environment and enhance our regions natural assets
•    design effective, future proof transport systems  
•    value our creative culture, grow arts and events

Top 5 Issues

1. • design effective, future proof transport systems
   we need to look at all options, not just roading. The waterfront needs protection. There are other ways to solve the transport issue besides building new roads through thriving communities. I was on the Nelson Regional Land Transport strategy and am aware of the issues. Commuter behavior is the no. 1 problem: 93% of cars have only 1 person in them. As yet we have no alternative commuter transport system. This would become a priority for me.
2. • explore private/public partnerships as opportunities for job creation and new community facilities
   We need to be innovative in finding solutions to the economic environment we find ourselves in. I propose we look to implement new partnership models which have proven to be successful internationally.

Personal Profile