(4/1) When I ran for County Council At-Large in 2014, I gained so much from that experience so I’m giving it another try, and thought it would be good to share a little more about the person I am.

I was born and raised in Frederick County and have lived here my entire life, loving every minute of it! I was blessed with great parents, Bruce and Odette Reeder, who were incredible role models. My older sister Detty was killed tragically in 1977, and with my brothers Bruce Jr., and Chuck we still fight to this day to keep her killer off the streets. So family is very important to me and I have many relatives throughout the county with the last names of Angleberger, Joy, Kehne, and Summers, and have great memories of the Joy Reunions at Mt. Tabor Park with the big slide! I have been married to Lawrence (FHS grad) for 33 years, and have two amazing children Matthew and Emily (MHS grads), who live locally.

I grew up west of Frederick on my grandfather’s farmland and every summer we grew lots of vegetables, and fresh corn on the cob, tomatoes, and cucumbers were staples at every summer dinner. I have memories of sitting on the corn planter thinking I was queen, planting and picking up potatoes, tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, cantaloupes, and the big pumpkin that won first place at the Frederick Fair. I was and am an avid fair goer every year and was the Demolition Derby Powder Puff champion in 1982! I have sense retired from that sport. Selling vegetables along Rt. 40 provided a sense of pride of what we accomplished. Those memories will last a lifetime and I feel lucky to have had that experience in a county so rich in agriculture.

Traditions were and are a big part of my life and growing up there were always big meals served to anyone at our house. Steamed Crabs, Slippery Pot-Pie, Hog Maw, and Sunday breakfast was never without pudding, scrapple, hominy and eggs. My parents owned a cabin along the Monocracy River and on weekends we would fish, swim, and take boat rides while hosting memorable parties there as well.

In my younger years I loved swimming and became a lifeguard and swim instructor at the VFW pool and also competed at the college level. Getting a good education is something my parents stressed to all of us. My love for science became even more amplified in 10th grade Biology class at TJ, where I found what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I choose to stay local and attended Hood College and obtained an undergraduate degree in Biology.

I have spent my career in research to find cures for diseases that took so many of my family members. I was also interested in business so while working full time, with two kids, I went to Hood College at night and earned a graduate degree in business. Learning is a lifetime experience and my exposure to politics started at a young age when my mom ran for office in 1974, and then my dad followed. I saw the importance of public service first hand which is why I want to give back to a community that has been so good to me.

Now that you know a little more about me, next month I will share my views on important issues like senior care, our schools, our safety, good paying jobs, balanced growth, our beautiful landscape, and the drug epidemic that is killing our kids!