From a young age, I learned the importance of independence, self-reliance, and hard work. As the youngest of five children, raised by a single mother with no father in the picture, I witnessed the grit and perseverance of a mother who taught me hard work by her own example. My mom worked her way up the socio-economic ladder putting herself through college. Growing up in poverty was not easy or glamorous. I learned firsthand that government hand-outs are not what improve lives; rather, hard work and a steady job do.
After earning my bachelor’s degree in Automotive Technology, I spent over a decade at Caterpillar in various engineering and management roles throughout Western Canada and the United States. I managed business plans of up to $320 mn, supervised a team of 12 employees, and earned 6Sigma methodology certification.
While living in Canada, I saw firsthand how high taxes, progressive social programs, and overregulation undermine individual aspiration and excellence. I experienced how collective state intervention in many facets of society crowds out individual voluntary charitable action breeding a sense of entitlement across the country. After living in Canada, I realized the importance of preserving our unique American way of life for my children — a system which had afforded me the opportunity to lift my own family out of poverty. As a result, upon returning to the United States in 2012, I became active in local and state politics in my home state of Utah.
Having spent a dozen years in the manufacturing and engineering industry working for Caterpillar, I approach issues by evaluating processes. I seek to eliminate waste and to adopt efficiencies by leveraging innovation and technology where possible. I use this same approach when fighting for a more efficient government.
I was elected as the Utah County Clerk/Auditor in January 2019, beating out a three-term, 12-year incumbent with 74% of the vote at convention. My team revolutionized processes at the office, and our constituents benefit from these positive changes. My platform focused on transparency and innovation. Since being elected, my team and I have received national recognition for election reforms. I am the only County Clerk in Utah to administer a Ranked Choice election. In our county, we have moved marriage licensing completely online, we have piloted a mobile voting app powered by blockchain, and we now use vote by mail making that fundamental responsibility of citizenship as accessible as possible.
All citizens in Utah County should have confidence in the process and results of our elections and budgeting in the county. In just one year since joining office, my team and I have transformed the government experience for our citizens and improved efficiency.
Please join Mayor Brunst of Orem, Congresswoman Mia Love, Attorney General Sean Reyes, and many other leaders and delegates in supporting me in my next term as Utah County Clerk/Auditor. Together we can continue strengthening integrity to our elections and prepare our county for exponential growth.
