I am currently in my eighth year of representing the residents of Monroe County -- all of Monroe County because I hold an At Large seat on the County Council. If you are a resident of any part of the County – including Bloomington, Ellettsville, Stinesville, or any of our small villages in Harrodsburg, Smithville, Unionville, Stanford, etc, or your home is in the country, I represent you.

(Little known fact: Every resident of the County has four representatives on the County Council. One is elected from your Council District, and three are elected At-Large.)

I am seeking to continue to be your representative on the County Council, and always want to know your concerns and ideas -- just send me an email, call, or set up a time to speak in person. But if you just want to know about me, here's my story and what led me to seek public service on the County Council.

For 48 years I have lived in rural Monroe County, worked in Bloomington, and been actively involved with the local Democratic Party. With community service and campaigning for other candidates behind me, I decided to run for Indian Creek Township Board in 1994 to help resolve public-safety issues. I was elected that year and again in 1998, 2002, and 2006. I gained 16 years of experience overseeing the Township's budgets, encouraging government transparency (there's that word again!), and understanding the needs of residents. This experience as an officeholder in Township government has served me well in my 8 years on the County Council, especially as regards budgets.

In addition to my service in Township government, I gained County government experience that still informs me:

• 2001-2010, Monroe County Historic Preservation Board (Chair for 9 years)
• 2007-2012, Monroe County Plan Review Committee, advising on land-use changes;
• 2011-2012, Monroe County Extension Advisory Board, for 4-H, nutrition, and Master Gardener programs; and
• 2011-2012, citizen member of the County Council's Community Services Grants Committee.

I am known as an advocate for residents and for our environment in other ways. When a new highway was planned across southern Monroe County in the late 1980s, I began to collect data and promote a safer and more environmentally sensible route, long before the highway was called I-69. Decades later, I'm still speaking out about transportation safety issues related to access to IU Health Bloomington’s new hospital on the SR 46 Bypass. Dedication is the cornerstone of my public service.

Over the years, my service to the community connected me with people serving throughout the county at Planned Parenthood, PTA/PTO Council, MCCSC committees, 4-H, volunteer fire department, community association, Scouts, booster programs for youth sports, choir, theater, and even those growing vegetables for food-security programs. In sharing this work with others, I gained a better understanding of what residents expect and need from their county government. I am accessible and approachable, and I am responsive to constituent concerns.

My husband, Patrick Munson, and I are rooted in Indian Creek Township, where we raised our children and are now active grandparents. In my professional life, I am an archaeologist and research scientist in the Department of Anthropology at Indiana University. This work is relevant to the Council because it has provided me years of experience in collecting and analyzing information, developing and managing detailed budgets, and advocating at the Statehouse and in Washington for new initiatives or improved procedures for protection of resources. Equally important, my research has taken me to all corners of Monroe County. I know our hills and hollows, our natural and built environments, what is durable, what is fragile, and what is in need of attention.

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