When you live in District 13, you quickly realize that our public parks and green spaces are much more than just acreage on a city map. They are the literal lungs of our community. They are the places where our children learn to ride their bikes, where neighbors catch up on evening walks, and where we all go to decompress, step outside, and simply feel the sun.

I spend a lot of time outside. If you ask me where my favorite spots are right here in the heart of our city, I’ll tell you that I use the park space over near East High School quite a bit. It’s straight down the street from my house. I also spent an incredible amount of time at Overton Park over the years, and I still consider the greensward outside the Memphis Zoo to be one of the most beautiful, simple places in our entire community. On any given weekend, you can watch people playing music, kicking a soccer ball, flying kites, or walking their dogs. For just a minute, when you are standing in the middle of that vibrant green space, you get to see exactly what Memphis looks like when it is thriving.

But if we are being completely honest with ourselves, we also know that many of our local parks right now do not show well. There is a long list of things that need to be fixed, and it stretches across multiple neighborhood lines. As a lifelong Memphian and a graduate of Ridgeway High School, I remember a time when kids played outside all day long. We had boundaries, we rode our bikes from neighborhood to neighborhood, and when the streetlights came on, you checked in. Just recently, I was driving through Bartlett near Stage Road, and I saw four kids ride up on their bikes, park them outside a pizza place without a second thought, grab their food, and ride off. It struck me because it’s a sight we don't see nearly enough in certain parts of our county anymore. Today, parents are understandably terrified if they lose sight of their children for even a single second.

We can get back to that version of Memphis. But to do it, we have to recognize that vibrant, active public spaces don't just happen by accident. They require a leadership team that refuses to look the other way, an unwavering commitment to public safety, and an understanding of how our local economy overlaps with our quality of life.

Safety is Not a Partisan Talking Point

Let me be entirely clear: public safety is the absolute foundation of everything we want to achieve in District 13. If our citizens do not feel secure stepping onto a walking trail or bringing their grandkids to a playground, then the system is failing them. For me, safety is not a partisan talking point to be thrown around during election cycles. It is a baseline human necessity.

To protect and revitalize our green spaces, we must direct county resources toward smart, multi-agency law enforcement coordination. We need to maximize our presence on the ground by strengthening the operational partnerships between the Memphis Police Department, the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, and our localized neighborhood watch associations. Our county government needs to ensure that our law enforcement personnel have the equipment, the technology, and the administrative backing they need to keep cars out of the shop and active patrols on our neighborhood streets and park boundaries.

When I look at the current state of our county commission, I see too many instances where money is requested, approved, and allocated, but no one follows up to see how it was actually spent. We cut the check and we just "hope" it turns out well. In business, you don't survive on hope; you trust, but you verify. When I am elected to the County Commission, I will follow up on every single dollar allocated toward public safety and park infrastructure. If we provide funding to secure a park or upgrade community infrastructure, I will ensure those resources are deployed exactly where they were promised. I will ask the tough questions, and I will know the answers.

The Fluid Equation of Community Growth

We have to be sensible. When we talk about urban development, neighborhood stabilization, and public safety, we have to look at the entire equation. A community’s needs are fluid—they are not cut and dry. Every piece of property requires a specific approach that balances family needs, safety needs, health needs, and economic realities.

Vibrant, safe public spaces directly lift the economic spirits of the surrounding neighborhoods. Homeowners, small business owners, and families are deeply tapped into quality of life. When a neighborhood park is clean, well-lit, and actively patrolled, it becomes an anchor that attracts residential stability and commercial confidence. Just look at the football programs or the youth sports leagues practicing in the fall over in Binghampton. When you see coaches out there volunteering and working with little kids on a secure, well-maintained field, that builds an authentic sense of community pride. It keeps our youth engaged, teaches discipline, and fosters relationships that transcend socio-economic silos.

We cannot allow a lack of accountability or administrative inefficiencies to compromise these spaces. I will not negotiate when it comes to the safety of our neighborhoods, and I will not wait around for someone else to fix it. Our citizens work hard, they play hard, and they have a right to expect a transparent, efficient government that works just as hard as they do.

Expecting More From Our Leadership

Memphis and Shelby County are an absolute jewel. Our grit is undeniable, and our authenticity is unmatched. Incredible, world-changing innovations have been built right here in our backyard. We took a heavy gut punch during the COVID-19 years, but we are back up on our feet, the cobwebs are clearing, and the momentum is shifting.

Now is our time to really lean into this momentum, seize the moment, and move forward. Better days are ahead for District 13, but to get there, we must expect more from our government and more from our leadership. We cannot keep doing the same things, cutting the same blind checks, and expecting different results.

I am ready to bring a results-oriented, private-sector mindset to the Shelby County Commission. I am ready to do the necessary homework, look at the numbers, protect our tax dollars, and ensure that our public parks and green spaces remain safe, flourishing environments where our community can thrive for generations to come.