While I might be a country girl at heart, Stratford is home.I grew up just outside St. Pauls, but my connection to Stratford started the day I was born. I went to St. Ambrose and St. Mike's, played ringette and Aces hockey, worked a string of Stratford jobs as a teenager including Swiss Chalet, and was the 2004/05 Stratford Fall Fair Ambassador. I left for university in London, but after experiencing the big city, I realized pretty quickly that Stratford was home.In 2010, Justin and I moved into an apartment on Campbell Court and settled back into Stratford. I knew I wanted to raise my family here.And I still feel that way.I love that I can get across town in ten minutes. I love walking around the river, going to the theatre, discovering great restaurants, spending time in our parks and watching my kids take part in the incredible recreation opportunities our community offers because of the amazing volunteers. I love our library, our camps, our sports organizations and, most of all, I love the people.Stratford is the kind of place where you can walk down the street and see people you know. That sense of connection is something I don't take for granted!

I've always been someone who gets involved. It's probably because my parents always have been. My Mom sat on parent council for years along with the Rec Board when my siblings and I were growing up. My Dad has been a long-time member of the Downie Optimist Club. They both have inspired me to give back to the community. While working a full-time job and raising 4 kids, making time for volunteering is very important to me. RotaractI've been a member of the Rotaract Club of Stratford since 2014, where I've had the opportunity to learn from community organizations, service providers and people doing incredible work in Stratford and beyond. One of the projects I'm most proud of is Be An Angel, a program I started in 2018 to give back to seniors in our community. Since then, more than 50 volunteers and our incredible community of donors have helped provide gifts to 556 local seniors, raising nearly $22,000 along the way.I coordinate the program from beginning to end: working with agencies to identify seniors, raising funds, shopping for gifts, coordinating volunteers, organizing the wrapping party and arranging deliveries. Parent CouncilI have been volunteering with Parent Council since my first child started school in 2020. I served as council co-chair for two years, volunteer at school events (e.g., family fun night, junior dance), and have organized the Glow Dance fundraiser/school event for the past 2 years. CoachingI grew up playing all the sports I could get my hands on: running cross-country, participating in track and field, basketball, volleyball, soccer (sweeper), baseball (pitcher), and hockey (goalie). I even dabbled in some recreation innertube waterpolo when I was in university. I love sports, but what I love most is what sport can give kids beyond the game itself. I want girls to have female coaches and positive role models who help them feel confident, supported and capable. I also want boys to grow up seeing women in leadership, and learning that respect, kindness and encouragement matter just as much as competition.A few years ago, once I finished having my babies, I was able to help coach my son's U6 hockey team and the goalies on my other son's U10 hockey team. I've been helping coach hockey and baseball ever since.I love coaching. I love pumping kids up and celebrating their victories. But I also love being there for them when they're having a bad day, listening and hopefully distracting them for a bit. This year, I'm excited to be coaching both of my daughters in U6 and U10 hockey, and my husband and I have taken on the role of co-convening U8 Rotary Hockey! It's going to be a very busy fall, but I wouldn't want it any other way!Iris CollectiveI am one of the founding members of the Iris Collective, a group that began in fall 2023. The Iris Collective offers women-centered social events and networking opportunities that foster authentic relationships and mutual support. We believe women want to make meaningful contributions to their communities. The Iris Collective provides avenues for mentorship, friendship, volunteering, networking, and advocacy, empowering members to create a positive impact.Emily Murphy Centre's Capital Campaign ProjectIn February I was asked to join the Emily Murphy Centre's Capital Campaign Cabinet. Since then, I've met with the team 10 times to plan our Tiny Homes capital campaign project, and to date I have presented to 7 local Service Clubs about the project. I look forward to helping the Centre reach their $600,000 capital goal! We are halfway there!Guelph to Goderich (G2G) Rail TrailI was also a founding member of the G2G and served on its board and as secretary for 6 years starting in 2012. I originally became involved through my work, but I loved the people and the vision so much that when it was no longer part of my job, I stayed on as a volunteer for 5 years! I learned so much about governance and accountability while volunteering for this organization, and if you haven't checked out G2G, you must! It's a beautiful trail!That experience taught me something I carry with me today: good things happen when you bring people into the process. Some landowners initially weren't happy about the idea of the public rail trail crossing their property. Through kitchen-table conversations my colleagues had and their genuine relationship building, some landowners became some of G2G's strongest supporters and advocates. That's community building!Active Transportation Advisory CommitteeStarting in 2016, I spent four years on the Active Transportation Advisory Committee, first as a citizen representative and later representing Public Health. It was my first real taste of municipal decision-making, and it gave me an appreciation for how much work happens behind the scenes to turn an idea into something residents can actually use. Pedestrian crossovers and sidewalk connections are two examples of issues I've advocated for. It's thrilling when I see recommendations I made on this committee come to life!

For the past 15 years, I've worked in public health, helping communities become healthier, safer and more accessible.I hold an Honours Bachelor of Health Sciences from Western University (2008) and a Master of Public Health from the University of Waterloo (2016). I've also completed two Municipal Administration courses through AMCTO (2024).Today, I work as a Public Health Promoter with Huron Perth Public Health and serve as our municipal liaison coordinator, helping our team work with all 17 municipalities across Huron and Perth.My work has given me a practical understanding of how municipal decisions affect people's everyday lives. I review official plans, planning policies, site plans and development proposals, providing recommendations related to accessibility, active transportation, parks and public spaces, housing, social connection, climate resilience and healthy community design. This work has given me experience looking at individual development decisions while also considering how they contribute to the broader community. I review council agendas, work alongside municipal staff, read and interpret large planning and policy documents, provide recommendations and help translate public-health evidence into practical policy.My professional experience has taught me to look beyond a single decision and ask: How will this affect the people who actually live here?

I come from a big family.My grandparents, Bill (deceased) and Irene, started what has become quite the Merkel clan. My dad is one of eight children. All eight children and their spouses live in the Stratford area, and I have 20 first cousins and there are 30+ great-grandchildren. (In case you're wondering, we have to rent a hall for Christmas!)And yes, if you've met a Merkel in Stratford, there's a pretty good chance we're related.The Merkels are salt-of-the-earth people: hardworking, generous, funny and deeply caring. They volunteer, they show up for one another and they love their community.I kept my Merkel name because I'm proud of what it represents.I grew up watching my family contribute to the community around them with so much joy, quirk and love, I've tried to carry that same spirit into my own life.

I'm a woman. I'm a mom of four. I'm a working professional, a coach, a volunteer and a resident.Those experiences shape what I notice.I notice what it's like to navigate our community with a stroller or wagon. I notice whether sidewalks actually connect, whether a crossing feels safe and whether a curb cut works the way it should.I notice when a public space hasn't been designed with children in mind. Why should I have to lift my toddler up to wash their hands in a public bathroom? Why isn't the soap somewhere they can reach?These might seem like little things. But little things are often how we experience our community.I want more women at the table because our experiences matter. I want mothers' voices heard because the decisions we make about recreation, transportation, housing, parks, childcare, accessibility and public spaces affect families every single day.And I want women to feel confident that they belong at those tables, too. That's one of the reasons being a founding member of the Iris Collective has been so meaningful to me. We want women to feel empowered, supported, connected and confident enough to do the hard things and take their place at important tables.Including City Hall.