Meet Jessica -
Your Voice for RTD District K

My Lifetime Here

I’ve called the North Metro area home my entire life. Growing up in Westminster and living in Thornton for more than 20 years, I don’t see our neighborhoods as just lines on a map, this is where I’ve lived, worked, taught, and raised my daughter. These experiences shape how I understand our community and guide the decisions I make every day.

Classroom to Community

My commitment to this region isn’t just about a title, it’s personal. Being part of this community for decades, including 13 years in the classroom, has given me a firsthand understanding of the challenges families face and the local services we all rely on every day. My path into city leadership has always been rooted in serving my neighbors, listening to our community, and making sure our corner of Colorado has the strong voice it deserves.

Rooted in Service

I have deep roots in the North Metro and a lifelong commitment to serving this community. Through my work as an educator, a local elected official, and a volunteer with nonprofit and civic organizations, I’ve seen firsthand how thoughtful leadership and collaboration can truly make a difference. Working alongside local governments, regional partners, and neighbors has shaped my practical, people-centered approach to leadership. I’m committed to ensuring District K has a strong, respected voice in regional transportation decisions, one that reflects the needs and priorities of the people who call this community home.

Local Trust. Regional Success.

My track record is rooted in the belief that we achieve more when we work together. By finding common ground with regional partners, I’ve been proud to help secure the first Bus Rapid Transit project with the Hwy 7 Coalition and launch the Wagon Road shuttle for essential workers during the pandemic. When the North Metro area was being overlooked, I stood alongside my partners at DRCOG to fundamentally change how funding is allocated, ensuring our neighborhoods finally received our fair share of the transit "pie." Whether I’m collaborating with Smart Commute to connect our workforce to their jobs or joining advocates to protect the "human" side of transit like FlexRide for our seniors, my approach remains the same: listen, build the necessary coalitions, and deliver results. I am ready to bring these established, trusted relationships to the RTD Board so that together, we can ensure our communities are always a priority.

Why I'm Running

For nearly a decade, I have been a consistent voice at the table where regional transit priorities and funding are decided. Through persistent advocacy and strong collaboration across city lines, I have helped navigate the complexities of transit funding to secure the infrastructure and resources our commuters rely on every day.

I am ready to bring that same collaborative leadership to the RTD Board to be the bridge-builder our district needs, ensuring our voices are never sidelined and fighting for a system that is safe, reliable, and equitable for every resident.

Experience that Counts!
For nearly ten years, I have been in the room, doing the steady, daily work of building the relationships and trust necessary to deliver for our community. Real progress in transit doesn't happen through mandates, it happens through partnerships. 

 

  • 8 Years of Consistent Leadership with NATA: Throughout my two terms on City Council, I remained a constant voice for the North Area Transportation Alliance. By working year after year alongside leaders from Thornton, Westminster, Brighton, Commerce City, Northglenn, Federal Heights, and Adams County, I’ve built the deep-rooted trust required to move regional projects forward.

  • Flipping the Funding at DRCOG: I didn’t just attend meetings at the Denver Regional Council of Governments; I worked with my regional partners to fundamentally change how funding "buckets" are allocated. We fought to ensure the North Metro area stopped being overlooked and finally received its fair share of the transit "pie."

  • The Hwy 7 BRT Victory: As part of the Hwy 7 Coalition, I worked with partners from Brighton to Boulder to find common ground. Together, we secured the first and only Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project in the north, proving that I know how to navigate complex multi-city agreements to get projects funded and moving.

  • Responding in Crisis: The Wagon Road Shuttle: During the pandemic, I collaborated with regional partners to launch a shuttle service at the Wagon Road Park-n-Ride specifically for essential workers. By listening to the community in real-time, we created a service that saw the fastest increase in ridership of any local line, proving that when transit is built on trust and local needs, it succeeds.

  • Bridging Jobs and Transit with Smart Commute: I partnered with local businesses and planners to connect our workforce to their jobs, ensuring that as our northern cities grow, our transit options grow with them.