About the Candidate
Ohio roots. Idaho home.
A geologist, a small-business owner, and a North Idahoan who knows firsthand what working families are up against.
Her Story
From a factory neighborhood in Ohio to the gold mines of Nevada.
Missy was born in Ohio and raised in a middle-class family of six. Her dad taught art; her mom stayed home with Missy and her three siblings until they were all in school, then became executive director of the Lorain County Arts Council. Home was a factory neighborhood a few blocks from The Ridge Tool Company and General Industries — not wealthy, but comfortable, and shaped by art, curiosity, and hard work.
She enrolled at Bowling Green State University intending to study chemistry. Wandering the Geology Department's halls changed everything. She switched majors and went on to earn both a bachelor's and a master's in Economic Geology before moving to Northern Nevada to work some of the world's top gold mines.
A full scholarship took her to the University of Wyoming for a PhD in Geology. She returned to Elko to finish her field research and dissertation — and it was there she began dating her partner, Jeff.
Building a Career
A consulting business that took her around the world — and home to Idaho.
Earning her PhD opened the door to her own geologic consulting business, with projects in the Dominican Republic, Chile, Argentina, and Canada. Through those years, she and Jeff spent more and more time in Boise, eventually buying a second home there.
In 2016, Jeff accepted a new position in Coeur d'Alene, and they moved into their current home that summer. Missy kept consulting until 2020, when the pandemic took most of her clients. After more than a year of unemployment, she tried to rebuild — but the rapidly expanding AI industry had reshaped the field. The need for healthcare coverage ultimately forced her to change course, and she now works for a major retailer.
Through every career shift and every move, she and Jeff have stayed partners for 25 years. Their family now includes three beloved dogs: Smudge, Drizzle, and Flindrikin (Flin).
Why I'm Running
To be a voice for the people whose voices are too often ignored.
For too long, the Idaho State Legislature has turned a deaf ear to the real concerns of everyday Idahoans. I've listened to my fellow employees share their anxieties about paying rent, affording groceries, keeping the lights on, accessing healthcare, and filling their gas tanks. These aren't distant or abstract worries — they're the reality for working families across our state.
Yet the most recent session was spent slashing budgets for more than fifty essential programs. Instead of pausing education tax credits or tax breaks for the wealthy, the legislature prioritized cuts that harm the services supporting working families, women's health, education, and our public lands.
I am not a lawyer. I am not a billionaire. I know the fear that comes with job insecurity, healthcare costs, and the uncertainty of having enough to pay the bills each month. I had to give up my career as a geologic consultant and work full-time at a major retailer just to have health insurance.
That's why I'm running — for working families, and for everyone whose voice deserves to be heard. Idaho deserves leaders who listen and act on behalf of all their constituents, not just a privileged few.