In 2013, I hung up my Original Pancake House apron and headed to Eugene for law school. Leaving Bend, I tried to picture the people I’d meet in my new life. As I got to know my cohort, I realized some had rich lived experiences that shone like a beacon to us.

Such a star was Jamie McLeod-Skinner. Jamie’s background as a city councilor and environmental planner, and ongoing commitment to learning was awe-inspiring. Jamie was able to seamlessly apply the high-level concepts we learned about to the very real issues facing our fellow Oregonians.

I’ve followed Jamie’s career since we graduated, and have been impressed with her work on a regional collaboration to find a workable solution to the perennial conflicts over Klamath Basin water adjudication. I saw her leadership in real-time after the devastating 2020 wildfires in Talent, where I lived at the time. Her steady hand and thoughtful advocacy brought calm to my decimated region.

I have no doubt that Jamie will apply a similar level of practical experience as our representative in Washington, D.C., and I am proud to support her candidacy.

Madison Simmons

Medford

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