Candidate wants to practice what she teaches

School teacher and community volunteer, Columbia Falls city council candidate Jenny Lovering wants to do what she can to help the community prosper.

“I want to help create long-term stability for future generations, making certain we don’t lose the character of Columbia Falls that makes it the best place to live in the valley,” she said.

Lovering moved to Columbia Falls in 1998 and has been at Columbia Falls High School since 1999. She teaches social studies, English, government and psychology.

“Each year, with each new batch of seniors, I emphasize the importance of citizens actively participating in the government process,” she said. “Running for the city council provides me the occasion to practice what I teach. I have an opportunity to be part of the process, as a representative of my community.”

Married with two children attending Columbia Falls schools, Lovering grew up in Michigan. She received her bachelor’s in history at the University of Michigan and her master’s in education from the University of Montana-Missoula.

Lovering reached the pinnacle of her teaching career when she achieved National Board Certification in 2011. There are about 100 board-certified teachers in Montana.

Outside of school, Lovering became involved in local community service through the First Best Place organization and became the volunteer director of the Community Garden at River’s Edge Park. The garden hosted 20 local families this summer and provided hundreds of pounds of food to the local food bank.

Lovering says she has no agenda and feels the job of a city councilor is to represent the people. While agreeing that the city should capitalize on its proximity to Glacier National Park and encourage more businesses to come to Columbia Falls, she’d also like to see the sense of community remain the same. She loves that Columbia Falls is a “walkable” town.

“Small business and industry should be encouraged to invest in our community,” she said. “The key is finding a way to maintain the quality of life that we enjoy in our small town — the reason we all chose to live here.”

Lovering said she supports city manager Susan Nicosia’s efforts to bring commercial lodging to Columbia Falls and would also like to see more commercial growth on Nucleus Avenue.

“I think it’s important for government to step aside whenever possible to make it easier for business and industry to thrive in our community,” she said.