What does the Clerk's office actually look like if you win? What's different on day one versus four years from now?

That's the right question and I want to answer it in two parts — what's realistic immediately and what's realistic over a full term.

Day one looks like this: I show up, I learn the full scope of what I've inherited, and I don't pretend I know everything. Anyone who tells you they're going to walk into a new leadership role and immediately overhaul everything is either not being honest or doesn't understand how organizations work. What I will do immediately is start the audit. Vendor contracts, supplier relationships, inventory policies, legal kit inventory — I want to know what we're spending, what we're getting for it, and where the obvious inefficiencies are. That work starts on day one and it doesn't require anyone's permission.

In the first six months I want to fix the communication gaps that have been frustrating residents for years. A plain-language FAQ that more accurately prepares you for jury. A cleaner, more navigable website. Clearer signage and intake processes at the counter so that someone walking in for the first time doesn't feel lost. None of these are expensive. They just require someone who thinks they matter.

On the people side — this is something I feel strongly about. I've managed teams my entire career and the single biggest driver of performance in any organization is whether the people doing the work feel seen and valued. That's not a soft idea. It's an operational one. A staff that feels recognized and rewarded for good work shows up differently than one that feels invisible. I want to build a culture in that office where hard work has a visible upside — where going above and beyond for a resident at the counter, finding a smarter way to handle a process, taking initiative on a problem nobody asked you to solve — those things get noticed and acknowledged. Not just with words. With how people are treated, developed, and advocated for when budget conversations happen.

The Clerk's office staff do difficult, often emotionally heavy work. They process protection orders. They support people going through divorce without attorneys. They interact with residents on some of the hardest days of their lives. That deserves real leadership — someone who understands what that environment takes out of you and invests accordingly

Over a full four-year term the goal is an office that Kitsap County residents actually know exists and feel genuinely served by. Proactive public communication. Revamped resources that people actually use. A budget the public can read and understand. And a team that's proud of where they work.

That's the four-year picture. Accountable, visible, and built for the people who fund it.