- Hometown: Boise, Idaho
- Role: Special projects coordinator in the Idaho Legislative Services Office
- Years of legislative service: 14
“You never know the people who will have the most profound impact on your life, and you will miss it if you are not open to the opportunity.”
O'Brien
Why did you choose to work at the Legislature?
I have always been fascinated by how government functions. Looking back, I think that growing up near the birthplace of Harry Truman (Lamar, Mo.) and visiting his home as a young child made a huge impression on me. Though I began college as a psychology major, it was my political science elective classes that sparked my interest in supporting my state government in the policymaking process.
What skill or talent are you most proud of?
I enjoy cultivating spaces where people from different walks of life can collaborate and create solutions to multifaceted challenges.
What’s the best advice you were ever given?
To not judge a book by its cover. You never know the people who will have the most profound impact on your life, and you will miss it if you are not open to the opportunity.
Who or what inspires you?
Idaho’s legislative process inspires me. I appreciate the work of our standing committees in holding public hearings on proposed legislation to engage the public in their state government.
What’s one thing you love about your state?
I love the diversity in the geographic elements of Idaho. From Craters of the Moon National Monument, to hiking around Kooskia, to natural hot springs, skiing, fishing, boating—and the list goes on and on. There is just always something to do in Idaho.
What are you currently reading/listening to/watching?
I am working on my master’s degree, so I am currently reading “The Politics of Intergovernmental Relations,” by Elizabeth D. Fredericksen, Stephanie L. Witt and David C. Nice.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Use the email icon above to suggest a legislative staffer for the “Staff Snapshots” series.