It is so hard finding a medical home where you feel respected and valued. I became a patient at Mountain Park in 2013 and I remember how scary it felt to walk into the clinic for the first time after my incarceration. You never know how people are going to receive you, but from the start, the staff was so welcoming and helpful. It made the experience a lot easier. Mountain Park has a great family feel; they don’t just talk about treating their patients well, they’re actually doing it.

When I joined the Board of Directors, I knew that I would bring my personal and professional experience to Mountain Park. As the Community Partnership Coordinator for the ACLU of Arizona, I have a deep connection with our community. I always want to be on the front line advocating for social justice issues. One of the biggest battles I’m always fighting is stigmas against people who have been incarcerated and advocating for a fair re-entry. When people think about diversity and inclusion, they tend to think about race and ethnicity. What they forget is that diversity and inclusion also include people who have spent time in prison.

I’m co-owner of a small screen-printing business called Certified Printing. I enjoy art and music and landscaping. Backyard remodeling fascinates me. I think a backyard should be their first retreat where a person can go after a long day, so I spend a lot of time making sure my backyard is the perfect getaway.