ABOUT ME
I’ve been fortunate to live and work in this special community for many years. I grew up in White Rock and graduated a Hilltopper. My parents, Gordon and Molly Spingler, inspired me with their contributions to Los Alamos -- my mom as a beloved school teacher and my dad as a valued volunteer.
My husband Scott and I returned here from the Bay Area in 1992 to raise our two sons and join the Los Alamos community. My background from working for the Laboratory, County, Chamber of Commerce, and as a Realtor, along with various volunteer activities, has given me an invaluable breadth of experience that will be useful to the County Council.
Like so many of you, I think Los Alamos is extraordinary with its natural beauty and offering of outdoor activities. In my free time, I enjoy hiking, skiing, mountain biking, and cycling. We are also a hockey, golf, and tennis family. We are fortunate to live in such a beautiful place and I will work hard to help sustain that for our kids and future generations.
My favorite part about being a Realtor was helping newcomers learn about our community. We have so much to offer; if you have an interest, we have a club, organization, or space where you can enjoy that activity. I’ve learned a lot from helping new and existing residents buy or sell a home; likewise, I look forward to listening and learning from you during my campaign and if elected, as your County Councilor.
EXPERIENCE & EDUCATION
Over the years, I’ve learned a lot from participating in and leading teams across my varied career and volunteer path. These experiences will be beneficial as I continue listening and learning from all of you.
REALTOR
RE/MAX of Los Alamos
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Helped 700+ families buy or sell a home over 18 years
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Consistently recognized as a top performer in the region
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Earned my GREEN designation for expertise in sustainable building and planning
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Developed a deep understanding about our housing challenges and opportunities
Executive Director
Los Alamos Chamber of Commerce
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Advocated for local businesses and non-profit organizations in relations with the County
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Managed our MainStreet and tourism programs, including our two visitor centers
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Started the Trick or Treat and SummerFest events
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Initiated and led the Los Alamos Quality Network
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Led the corporate citizenship effort of the U.C. Working Group
Communications Officer
Los Alamos County
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Organized a series of public meetings addressing DOE, LANL, sustainability, and health care issues
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Led a customer service and process improvement “Quality Team Los Alamos” program for all employees
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Facilitated the Quality NM Baldrige application effort
Marketing Specialist
LANL Environmental Management Programs Office
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Supported scientists with technology commercialization and program development initiatives
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Represented the Lab in regional economic development partnerships that included our neighboring pueblos and communities
Marketing Rep / Business Planner
IBM
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Created and facilitated programs to promote technology use in the higher education sector
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Learned about manufacturing, sales, customer relationships, data analysis, and management
B.S. Managerial Economics
U.C. Davis
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Studied business, marketing, and environmental science
CIVIC & VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES
County:
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Environmental Sustainability Board
Schools & UNM-LA:
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Site Council, Bond Election Committees, Building Trades Board, Scholarship Committee
Community:
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Big Brothers Big Sisters, Family Council Youth Summits, PEEC Advisory Board, Quality Team Los Alamos founder, YMCA Capital Campaigns, Cerro Grande Fire Townsite EOC, League of Women Voters
Region / State:
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Quality NM Board of Directors, Regional Development Corporation Board of Directors
MY PLATFORM
Housing
Our Environment
Business Support
Good Governance
We are in the midst of an acute housing shortage here in Los Alamos. To be a vibrant community, we need to support LANL’s ability to recruit and retain employees. To diversify our economy and enable small business growth, we need more housing inventory for the non-LANL workforce. To foster more diversity in our community, we need affordable homes in the entry and middle segments. Therefore, all options should be considered and this includes adopting successful ideas from other cities. We should fast-track housing development on as many vacant land parcels as possible; this will require additional partnerships with the Schools, UNM-LA, DOE/NNSA, and private land owners. We need to pursue higher density and infill housing wherever possible but especially downtown and in White Rock. Housing is a regional challenge; we should leverage programs and resources with our neighbors, the state, and federal agencies. As we develop our housing plans, we must incorporate strategies for smart land use, infrastructure improvements, transportation, our environment, and preservation of open space.
When current residents and newcomers are asked what they like about Los Alamos, our natural surroundings, recreational opportunities, and safety consistently top the list. Other attributes include our excellent public schools, access to good health care, a vibrant arts community, and activities for families (e.g. the YMCA, Nature Center, parks, trails, etc.). We need to continue our support for the organizations that enhance our quality of life. But more needs to be done with infrastructure improvements, asset maintenance, beautification, and participation. As we make these investments, we need to keep climate change resiliency and greenhouse gas emission reductions front and center. I support many of the recommendations of the Resiliency, Energy, and Sustainability Task Force because they include investments that will reduce future fiscal and natural resource costs. I look forward to hearing from you about ways to reduce our carbon footprint while maintaining our quality of life and working to improve it for future generations.
While our natural environment is a source of citizen pride, our small business economy is a source of frustration. Over the decades we have seen retail, restaurant and service establishments come and go. There are both macro and micro reasons for these cycles but to make Los Alamos a more vibrant, attractive, diverse, and financially stable community we must foster an environment that supports new and existing small businesses --- not only for shopping and dining, but also for meeting our residents’ needs with professional and skilled labor services (including health, child, and senior care). We should build upon partnerships with the County, landowners, and the business community to enable infrastructure improvements, move-in ready spaces, building code revisions, and local procurement incentives. I support more collaboration with LANL, the Schools and UNM-LA for workforce development, innovative start-ups that help diversify our economy, and ideas such as the Chamber of Commerce accelerator program to give local entrepreneurs a good start. Leveraging LANL workforce traffic and increasing our visitor and tourism opportunities should also be part of our approach to making Los Alamos and White Rock desirable places to dine and shop.
With an emphasis on listening, learning, and transparency, we must work together to ensure our County government is effectively meeting its residents’ needs. The caliber and commitment of our leaders is essential in this endeavor. Good governance provides the platform for citizen participation and trust; it requires transparency, accessibility, and two-way communication, which includes explanations to the public about how and why decisions are made. Good governance is a prerequisite for excellent customer service, social inclusion, economic vitality, environmental sustainability, and quality of life. It also requires fiscal responsibility and operational excellence. It depends upon partnerships with our regional neighbors and state/federal government, the local business community, and local non-profit organizations. I look forward to hearing from you about continuous improvement opportunities for Los Alamos County.
VOLUNTEER FOR SUZIE
We would love for you to join the team!
