I’m running for City Council not out of ambition, but out of love for this place. As a fifth-generation Pocatellan and a funeral director, my work has placed me in people’s lives during their most vulnerable moments. I’ve seen up close how the decisions made at City Hall ripple through our homes, our schools, and our neighborhoods. This campaign is my way of stepping forward—not because it's easy, but because it's time. If not me, then who? If not now, then when? I believe Pocatello deserves leadership grounded in justice, mercy, and humility. We need leaders who show up, who listen, and who lead with heart.

One of the biggest issues we face is housing. Rent and mortgage costs are climbing faster than wages, and we simply don’t have enough homes to meet the need. I’ve seen folks forced into unsafe living conditions or even pushed to leave Pocatello altogether—not because they want to, but because they can’t afford to stay. Housing shouldn’t be a privilege. It’s foundational. And right now, it’s a crisis.

We need to treat housing as infrastructure. That means modernizing our zoning laws to allow townhomes, ADUs, and entry-level homes that meet today’s needs. It means using every tool available—public-private partnerships, streamlined permitting, even exploring local-option taxes if the legislature allows—to make it easier to build and keep costs down. It also means measuring our success not by ribbon cuttings, but by real outcomes: stable rents, rising vacancy rates, and young families choosing to stay in Pocatello. Housing is about more than buildings—it’s about dignity, stability, and making sure everyone has a place to call home.

Day one, I’ll prioritize transparency and rebuilding trust between City Hall and the public. That starts with restoring monthly public-comment opportunities, launching a “Monthly Meeting with Keven” coffee hour, and creating clear, accessible updates on key issues. People are tired of decisions being made behind closed doors or buried in jargon. I’ll make sure every resident knows what’s happening, why it matters, and how to speak up. Because democracy only works when people are heard—and I intend to make sure every Pocatellan has a seat at the table.

 As a funeral director, I sit with people in their hardest moments. I've seen how city policies show up in real lives, not as abstract debates but as lived realities. From unsafe housing to gaps in emergency response, I’ve watched neighbors navigate the fallout of leadership that failed to act in time. I’m a fifth-generation Pocatellan who’s worked in restaurants, classrooms, fields, and funeral homes. I’ve carried caskets of overdose victims and walked families through systems that didn’t show up when they should have. That proximity to people’s pain made the choice clear: If not me, then who? If not now, then when?

 I’m seeking CVI’s endorsement because I believe our environment is not a luxury—it’s our legacy. From air and water quality to how we grow and move as a city, conservation values must be embedded in our local decision-making. I’m committed to smart growth, accessible green spaces, and energy policy that prepares our city for a more sustainable future. CVI’s work aligns with my vision of justice, humility, and stewardship.

1. Housing affordability and availability. People are being priced out of their hometown.

2. Emergency response capacity. We are dangerously understaffed in fire, EMT, and police services.

3. Transparent, ethical governance. Residents are tired of closed-door decisions and budget surprises.

I currently work as a funeral director. In that role, I manage logistics, support grieving families, and coordinate with city and state officials daily. My leadership has always been grounded in presence, service, and accountability. I’ve also led teams in restaurant management, coordinated fundraising and memorial events, and served as a mentor to young workers. Though I haven’t held elected office, I’ve spent my life in civic spaces that demand emotional intelligence, logistical skill, and public trust.

I’m a supporter of the Pocatello Free Clinic, the NAACP Pocatello Branch, and the Bannock County Suicide Prevention Coalition. These groups reflect my commitments to health equity, racial justice, and mental health—all essential components of a thriving, inclusive community.

My commitment to conservation is rooted in place and practice. As a lifelong Idahoan, I’ve camped and hiked this state’s public lands. As a council candidate, I’ve called for walkable neighborhoods, open space protection, and energy-efficient infrastructure. I’ve also vocally opposed efforts to privatize or underfund essential environmental protections. Conservation is about safeguarding what makes Idaho, Idaho.

Preserving access to public lands and outdoor recreation is a key concern for our community. I will oppose efforts to transfer federal land ownership and advocate for expanded greenway trails, urban tree canopy funding, and better maintenance of city parks. I also support integrating climate resilience into land-use planning, including fire prevention and water conservation measures.

 The biggest conflicts are short-term financial interests and misinformation. Some leaders paint conservation as anti-growth, when in fact, smart environmental planning protects property values, public health, and economic stability. Bridging that divide means making the long-term case, building unlikely coalitions, and staying rooted in community values.

 I’ll champion city funding for open-space maintenance, fight for state and federal grant opportunities, and ensure new developments contribute to public green infrastructure. I’ll also support community partnerships that expand access through bike paths, ADA trails, and free transit to parks.

By treating the environment as infrastructure, not afterthought. I support zoning updates that promote mixed-use walkable neighborhoods, green roofs, permeable pavement, and tree protections. Growth must be sustainable—economically, ecologically, and socially.

Equity must be baked into every policy. That means analyzing how land use, transit, housing, and climate policies affect marginalized communities. I will advocate for equity impact statements on major city initiatives and include BIPOC voices in planning decisions. Environmental racism is real, and local government has a duty to correct—not perpetuate—it.

 I’ll hold regular town halls, host “Monthly Meetings with Keven,” and create accessible explainer content about local decisions. I’ll partner with schools, libraries, and nonprofits to reach new voters, and push for translated materials and voter registration at city events. Democracy only works when everyone’s invited.

I’m a fifth-generation Pocatellan who came home to serve the community that raised me. Today I work as a funeral director, sitting with families in their hardest hours—work that’s taught me to lead with compassion, listen first, and make the government show up before it’s too late.

My path here hasn’t been linear. I’ve worked in restaurants, agriculture, education, and behind the bar—real jobs that keep a town running and keep leaders grounded. I studied anthropology and religious studies, earned a master’s degree in 2021, and brought that perspective back to Pocatello.

My family’s roots here run deep, and so does my commitment to community. Years ago, after losing a young coworker, I helped organize a parking-lot memorial and a fundraiser that brought hundreds of neighbors together—one of many moments that shaped my belief that leadership is about showing up and holding space.

I haven’t taken the traditional political route—and I’m not running to climb a ladder. I’m running to carry forward the values that built this city: hard work, humility, and heart. If elected, I’ll keep City Hall open, responsive, and focused on the basics families rely on.

I'm running for City Council in Pocatello because I love this city—and because I believe local leadership should be rooted in compassion, not ambition. As a fifth-generation Pocatellan and a funeral director, I’ve spent years sitting with families in their most vulnerable moments.

That experience has shaped how I see leadership: it’s not about speaking first, but about showing up, listening, and holding space when it matters most. I’ve worked in restaurants, in agriculture, in education, and behind the bar. I've seen how city policies land in real people's lives—and I know we can do better.

My platform focuses on practical, people-first solutions: Housing: We must treat housing like infrastructure. I’ll push for smart zoning, more affordable units, and better tools to help renters and first-time buyers stay in the community they love. Fiscal Responsibility: Tax dollars should work for the people. That means funding core services before pet projects, publishing transparent budgets, and stretching outside grants before raising taxes. Transparency & Accountability: I’ll restore trust in City Hall by keeping meetings open, decisions public, and communication consistent—plus holding regular community hours like my proposed "Monthly Meeting with Keven." Supporting Working Families: From childcare access to job creation, we need policies that lift families up and keep Pocatello a place where people can build a future. Public Safety: First responders are overwhelmed and under-resourced. I’ll advocate for staffing, equipment, and community-centered overdose responses so help arrives when it's needed most. This Campaign campaign is about stepping up for my neighbors.

Three challenges keep coming up at doorsteps: housing, family stability, and basic safety—and they all tie back to trust in local government.

First, housing. Too many neighbors are paying 30%+ of their income for rent while listings stay scarce. My plan: treat housing like critical infrastructure—modernize zoning for townhomes, ADUs, and well-designed multi-family; speed permits; and use partnerships and state tools to lower costs for renters and first-time buyers. We’ll measure success by rising vacancy and stabilizing rents.

Second, working families. Childcare is thousands of seats short, which knocks parents out of the workforce. I’ll streamline zoning to open more licensed centers, seed a city grant/low-interest loan fund tied to strong standards, and chase every available dollar with our local partners. We’ll also expand safe before-/after-school options and recruit employers who pay living wages.

Third, safety and response times. Our first responders face fentanyl overdoses and record call volumes with outdated staffing and facilities. I’ll secure grants and city funds for stations, rigs, and enough ambulances; retain talent with competitive pay; put Narcan on every unit; and publish response-time dashboards the public can track.

Underpinning all of this is trust: spend on core services first, keep books open, and guard every tax dollar. I’ll post plain-language budgets, hold standing monthly coffees and town halls, and keep decision-making local—pushing back when Boise or D.C. tries to preempt Pocatello’s needs.

No one party has a monopoly on good ideas—and City Council is officially nonpartisan for a reason. I’ll keep it that way: decisions rooted in Pocatello’s values, not national talking points, and an open process you can see and judge.

How I’ll represent everyone’s views: start by listening. My life and work have taught me to lead by holding space and earning trust—especially when it’s hard.

How I’ll communicate directly:

• Your voice, every month—keep public comment in meetings, plus a standing “Monthly Meeting with Keven” coffee hour and quarterly town halls.

• Real-time updates—post key votes, project milestones, and spending changes online and push them via email and social media so rumors don’t fill the gap.

• Plain-language budgets and scorecards—one-page budget summaries and program metrics (permits, potholes, response times) published regularly so you can hold us accountable.

Bottom line: open meetings, open books, open lines of communication—so even when we disagree, you’ll always be heard and always know how decisions are made.

Short answer: fund the basics families rely on—and cut the fluff.

Where we need more funding: first responders and core infrastructure. Our police, firefighters, EMTs, and dispatchers are answering record call volumes with staffing and facilities that haven’t kept pace; that means investing in stations, reliable rigs/ambulances, protective gear, and competitive pay to retain talent. We also need steady, predictable dollars for streets, water, sewer, and stormwater—the unglamorous work that keeps neighborhoods safe and businesses open.

Where to cut: vanity spending and low-impact add-ons. Last year’s draft tried to add 12 new staff jobs, give electeds an 11% raise, and spend $100K on a rebrand—while things like the aquatic-center roof and the library elevator went unfunded. That’s backward; core services come first.

How I’ll manage it: line-by-line reviews to redirect dollars to real needs; publish one-page, plain-language budgets and program scorecards; and chase outside money (grants/partnerships) like we did with ARPA so we can fix more without raising taxes.

Bottom line: spend on police, fire, and pipes before politics and branding—and show you the receipts.

Pocatello’s best near-term wins are where streets, utilities, and people already are.

Downtown/Old Town and the ISU-to-Center Street corridors are primed for infill—upper-floor apartments over active ground-floor shops, small courtyard “missing-middle” homes, and rehabs of underused buildings. Along Yellowstone/5th–6th, we can turn aging strip centers into mixed-use nodes with safer crossings, trees, and room for cafés and clinics. Northgate is our greenfield play—but it needs a real street grid, sidewalks, and neighborhood services so it becomes a community, not just rooftops. South 5th/South Valley and the airport business park are ideal for clean light-industrial and logistics that expand our tax base without crowding neighborhoods.

How I’ll help it happen: modernize zoning to welcome townhomes, ADUs, cottage courts, and well-designed multi-family; adopt corridor design standards so projects fit our character; fast-track permits for infill and employer projects that hit clear goals (workforce housing, living-wage jobs, local hiring). Pair that with predictable infrastructure—water/sewer, fiber, sidewalks, and safe intersections—funded through partnerships, grants, and targeted urban-renewal tools. Finally, simple incentives that work: small storefront-improvement grants, fee reductions tied to affordability, and pre-approved plans so good projects can move in weeks, not months.

Bottom line: build where it strengthens what we love—walkable neighborhoods, local business, and family-wage jobs.

Would I have handled it differently? Yes—in three ways:

Immediate, transparent communication: within 24 hours a city briefing with a clear timeline; within 7 days, release of available video (with necessary redactions); a dedicated family liaison and public Q&A. The city issued statements and later released video, but we needed faster, steadier updates to prevent rumor from filling the void. 

Independent review you can track: automatically hand the case to the regional task force and post milestones online (scene processing, interviews, evidence review) until the prosecutor/AG decision—then a public afteraction on tactics and policy, regardless of criminal findings. (The AG ultimately declined charges; our duty to learn remains.) 

Community care: de-escalate protests by design—clean lines of communication, minimal show of force, and space for grieving. 

Do changes need to be made at PPD? Yes—practical, measurable ones:

Mandatory, scenario-based training on autism/intellectual and developmental disabilities; slow-it-down/time-and-distance tactics; and coordinated less-lethal use. 

A co-responder model (clinician + officer) and dispatch protocols that flag disability/IDD information. 

Clearer fence/containment policies (create distance, call specialized units) and a public use-of-force dashboard. 

Bottom line: accountability and learning can coexist with due process. Our commitment must be to truth, to reform, and to every family’s safety.

I’m running to get things done—not play politics. I’ll tackle our housing crisis by modernizing zoning, supporting affordable development, and expanding housing options. I’ll restore trust in City Hall with real-time updates, public scorecards, and monthly "Coffee with Keven" chats. I’ll fight for well-staffed emergency services and addiction response, prioritize families with better childcare access, and ensure every budget reflects real community needs. My goal is simple: make sure city government shows up before crisis hits.

I didn’t come up through politics—I came up through real life. From restaurant floors to funeral homes, I’ve led in tough moments and held space in grief. As a funeral director, I’ve seen how policies hit home. At 18, I was managing teams; now I help families navigate broken systems with urgency and care. I’ve built community in moments of loss, and I’ve felt that care returned when my own family faced tragedy. I may not have a degree in political science, but I have a track record of showing up—and that’s what this job needs.

Housing is crisis-level—prices are up, availability is down, and people are being pushed out. I’ll fight for smart zoning, faster permitting, and new funding tools. Trust in local government has also eroded; I’ll lead with transparency and open communication. First responders are stretched too thin—we need better pay, equipment, and overdose response. And families can’t thrive without affordable childcare. These aren’t distant issues—they’re showing up in people’s lives every day. I’ll work to make Pocatello not just react—but rebuild with heart.

I’m not running to climb a ladder—I’m running because I love this city. As a fifth-generation Pocatellan and a funeral director, I’ve seen how policies affect real people. I’ve worked nearly every job in town, and I know what it means to stretch a paycheck, navigate grief, and keep going when it’s hard. This campaign is about building a Pocatello where families can stay, workers are respected, and local government earns trust. If you’ve ever felt like politics ignores your real life—this campaign is for you. Let’s get to work, together.

As a fifth-generation Pocatellan and a funeral director, I’ve spent my life showing up when it counts—whether in moments of grief or community need. I’ve worked in restaurants, education, agriculture, and public service, gaining a firsthand view of how policy impacts everyday people. My roots here run deep, and so does my belief in compassionate, accountable leadership. This city deserves more than politics as usual. It deserves someone who listens, who leads with humility, and who’s not afraid to ask, “If not now, when?” I’m not here to climb a ladder. I’m here because I love this community—and I’m ready to serve.