ABOUT ME
Hi, I'm Madison
Enjoying beautiful Arlington spaces with my nephew: the trail, community center, and farmers market at Lubber Run.
Photo credit: Stephanie Granger
WHERE I COME FROM
I grew up moving across the country in a Marine Corps family. My parents were role models of working hard to serve a cause greater than themselves and instilled this in my three sisters and me. After my dad's retirement from the military, my parents built a business from nothing in our home. Along the way, they taught me to think for myself, look for opportunities, and dream big.
Each of these values are behind my decision to run for the Arlington County Board. I'm running to serve my community while inspiring my fellow Arlingtonians to see past the artificial divisions of the two-party system and believe in a brighter political future that is more dynamic, competitive, and representative (see Why I'm Running on my main page for more!). It will not be my first time in this kind of role. I enjoyed and excelled at similar work during the two years I spent as a Student-Athlete Autonomy Representative for the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). I represented over 10,000 student-athletes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) legislative process and tackled issues like time demands and early recruiting. I enjoyed learning the ins and outs of this political ecosystem while working to understand the diverse needs of my constituents (spanning 15 universities and 35+ sports) and shaping solutions to the issues they faced.
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My husband and I are fortunate to live in a charming condominium neighborhood in Green Valley. We love our neighbors and our proximity to the Washington & Old Dominion Trail, which I use regularly to bike to work. We also love Arlington’s unique balance of natural and urban spaces, its vibrant community of passionate people, and (as health nuts) its top-of-the-line fitness facilities.
Walking down the aisle with my retired Marine dad.
Photo credit: Matt Schmachtenberg
Celebrating Independence Day at the 42nd Annual Douglas Park 4th of July Parade & Potluck and having some great conversations with neighbors about initiatives they care about in our community.
MY BACKGROUND & PASSIONS
In my professional life, I’ve managed corporate wellness programs for Fortune 500 clients that reached 100k+ people across 40+ countries. I’ve also designed human capital management systems for federal employees and facilitated workshops on humanistic coaching. After personally experiencing the impact strength training had on my recovery from years of chronic pain and injury, I made a career shift and became a personal trainer and group instructor at a NoVA-owned small business. I'm also in the process of launching my own small business. I'm a passionate believer that exercise is the best medicine for many of today's most prevalent health issues. Every day that I go to work, I get to help my clients live happier, longer lives. I love what I do.
I particularly enjoy empowering young women. I volunteer my time leading a free weekly group class at a home for local teenage girls who've faced difficulties. I've also been a volunteer coach for Girls on the Run in Arlington.
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I ran track at Duke University, where I led my team as a 3-year captain as I earned my BA in English and political science, then a Master's degree in Management Studies from Duke's Fuqua School of Business. I loved being both a student and athlete and organizing team activities, including volunteer work. While I fell just shy of achieving my dream to be an All-American in the 1500m, the journey of chasing that dream taught me very much about dedication and leadership.
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Smiling post-workout with the wacky, wonderful community at the gym where I work.
Celebrating a medal-worthy finish in the ACC Track & Field Championships with my parents (2016).
Running with some fast women (including a future Olympian) in the ACC 1500m finals (2015).
I’ve been a politics nerd since I was young, starting with student government, Model Congress club, and Girls State. At Duke, I served as president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, then (as mentioned above) served two terms as a Student-Athlete Autonomy Representative for the ACC. As the pandemic wound down and partisan warfare continued winding up, I began advocating for changes that I believed would help Americans, Virginians, and Arlingtonians have a brighter political future. I’ve spoken in favor of Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) at meetings for the Arlington County Board as well as the Virginia General Assembly and contributed to the recent successful adoption of RCV in Arlington’s County Board elections. I’ve also lobbied in Richmond for pro-democracy reforms like RCV and getting money out of politics. I joined the Virginia state leadership team of the Forward Party in 2023.
Advocating for Ranked Choice Voting (RCV), getting money out of politics, and other good governance reforms at the Virginia General Assembly in Richmond as part of Democracy Day 2024.
Serving as an Autonomy Representative for the ACC in the NCAA legislative process. This role involved understanding issues affecting my 10,000+ student-athlete constituents across the ACC, shaping solutions to these issues, and voting on legislation at the NCAA Convention.