The Park City native taught at Park City High School before taking a position at Mountainlands Community Housing Trust.
Now McKenna is a housing advocate at Mountainlands, where she helped establish the Housing Resource Center in 2022. It helps tenants and future homeowners find housing and navigate the housing process.
McKenna says her campaign will be “future-forward.”
“My motivation to run comes from my former students, my niece and nephews,” she said. “The tremendous opportunity I had growing up in Summit County, along with my science background, has instilled in me a strong sense of responsibility and desire to better serve young people and future generations in Summit County.”
McKenna taught high school for 11 years, and her courses included AP environmental science, biology, earth science, and anatomy and physiology. She was a ski patroller for 11 years before that, eight years at The Canyons, now Canyons Village, and three at Arizona Snowbowl during graduate school.
Over the course of her life in Summit County, McKenna says, she’s witnessed friends and family priced out by the cost of living. She says she wants to use business, nonprofit and government partnerships to find solutions.
“Change is inevitable, but sustainability and affordability are not,” McKenna said, “and will require strategic regional collaboration and planning to support a future Summit County in which all residents can thrive.”
McKenna is the sixth candidate to announce a bid for Summit County Council. Three at-large seats are open for candidates to choose from.
LGBTQ+ advocate Cami Richardson, former Francis mayor Byron Ames, Snyderville Basin Planning Commissioner Thomas Cooke, and incumbents Roger Armstrong and Tonja Hanson are also running.
Ames is the only Republican in the bunch. The rest, including McKenna, are Democrats. Councilmember Malena Stevens says she will not run.
The filing period runs through Monday, Jan. 8. Summit County residents will also elect a recorder, assessor, treasurer and sheriff this general election, on Nov. 5.
