The daughter of a single mother, she grew up on her family’s farm where her mom raised her to always work hard, lead with love, and get the job done. From an early age, her family instilled in her a deep love for Kentucky and taught her the importance of civic engagement. As a student at Centre College, she helped organize and participated in several campaigns and events aimed at increasing administrative transparency, reducing sexual assault and harassment on campus, and promoting inclusion and equality for students of color and LGBTQ+ students. Since graduating from Centre in 2018, she has lived and worked in Lexington as an independent filmmaker and community organizer focused on uplifting the voices of Central Kentuckians who have long gone unheard. Her most recent film, There Is No Answer, was released by KET on November 4, 2024. The next day, she made history when she became the first openly trans person to be elected to a city council seat in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. 

Since being sworn into office on January 3, 2025, Emma has quickly established herself as a consensus-builder, a change-maker, and a relentless advocate for her constituents. She has been hard at work delivering results for the 4th Council District on the issues that she ran on—fixing roads, ensuring pedestrian safety, lowering housing costs, and fighting back against legislative overreach from the Kentucky General Assembly and the Trump Administration. 

Emma will always believe that Kentucky and the people who call it home are worth fighting for.