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Life has taken me down some unexpected roads—like working as the only woman deckhand on a Bering Sea crab boat, where I learned to move 1,200-pound pots in rough seas and smash ice off the deck to keep the boat from sinking. Or spending ten seasons building trails deep in Yellowstone and the Frank Church Wilderness, with dirt under my nails and stars overhead. Those adventures taught me grit, problem-solving, and a deep respect for people and place.

These days, my adventures look a little different. I’m back on a bike, rediscovering the joy (and sometimes the humbling challenge) of mountain biking. Conquering Lower Headwall without a crash was a big win, and I even survived the 45-mile Dusty Bandita gravel ride this summer. At home, life’s just as lively with three dogs: Stanley, my 13-year-old Border Collie mix; Lumi, a sweet but wild Aussie Shepherd; and Siren, a smart, loyal cattle dog adopted from the Humane Society. Lumi and Siren are best friends, which means my living room is often a blur of fur and paws.

Family is at the heart of everything for me. My daughters, Emi and Chloe, are both in Australia, where I lived for 14 years. Watching them thrive in a place where the government invests directly in its people shaped my belief that our local government should do the same—making sure your tax dollars actually work for you.

And then there’s my not-so-secret passion: policy and data. I love digging into numbers, because they tell us stories—good data shows where we’re succeeding, bad data points us to what needs fixing. With a biology degree from Evergreen and a Master of Public Administration from UM (Go Griz!), I’ve learned how to pair facts with fairness to help communities thrive.

I guess you could say my life has been equal parts adventure, family, and public service. And that’s exactly the energy I bring to representing Missoula.

Paid for by Kristen Jordan