Jenny Ferranti discusses campaign for Grant County Commission District 1

Susan Morée: 
Tell us about how your background has prepared you to serve in this office. 
 
Jenny Ferranti: 
Okay, so I've worked directly with the community since I was 15 years old. I went from working with healthcare, early childhood, youth programs, community leadership roles. I've managed budgets, building partnerships, supporting families, navigating complex systems. And I've worked with people from every walk of life. I think my ability to listen, to understand and my critical thinking skills are amazing. So that's what qualifies me for the position. I'm also a mother. So, I’m going to look at roles, that's my most important role I can hold is I am a mother to an 8-year-old and a 10-year-old. So, when it comes to understanding the everyday struggles of life, I understand those. I understand working, coming home, making dinner, doing some more work and trying to balance sports. 
 
Susan Morée: 
Second question, why are you running for this office? 
 
Jenny Ferranti: 
So, the reason I'm running for this office is because of my grandmother. I wasn't sure if I was going to run for this office, but I went to a meeting for the county commission and they were talking about mining in Pinos Altos, New Mexico. I come from a family that was born and raised in PA. So when I found out that Ivanhoe was coming in and that they were thinking about mining, I panicked and I went down the deep dive and I decided that I was going to do everything in my power to ensure that PA remains PA and that no mining happens in Pinos Altos. That was my number one reason for running is because my legacy is in PA. All of my family from one side is... is buried in PA. So that was when I was like, okay, I'm going to do it. And the other part is because of my children. I want to ensure that they have a future and I also want to ensure that my kids know that they can do anything they put their minds to. And because I love my community. 
 
Susan Morée: 
Third question, what are the top issues in your district for this office? 
 
Jenny Ferranti: 
There's a lot of top issues. You know, we're going to look at economic growth but, of course, there's always the top issue of Freeport mining in the community, which I do support responsible mining in our community, but I also will support our land and water. I think those have to be protected and I think that there needs to be regulations in place and there has to be ownership and ensuring that we're looking at both of those things. So, I think those are the biggest two topics within my race right now, but that is not the only thing. There is healthcare. We have a hospital, a county-owned hospital that needs to sustain itself. We need to ensure that it keeps going in the right direction, which it is right now. Part of that is getting doctors, getting good physicians in here and getting good health care into Grant County because keeping physicians has been a huge issue not just for Grant County but all across the state. So that's something that is affecting all counties. So we're looking at how we can do that. And, of course, our veterans, our veterans do not get the support that they need and we need to look at how we can better support them. 
 
Susan Morée: 
Next question, how would you successfully address those issues? 
 
Jenny Ferranti: 
So, okay, how I think I've talked a little bit about some of that. So when it comes to healthcare, of course, it's getting the physician in and talking to the people that, bringing people together when it comes to land and water and the community of mining. I don't think that those things are two separate things. I think it's about balance. I think it's about bringing people together and looking at things in a way in which we look at what we have in common. So, you sit the right people down at that table and we make those decisions and those choices, understanding that conservation isn't completely against mining. They want safe mining, they want responsible mining. Understanding that conservation also includes hunting and fishing and hiking and backpacking and horse riding and includes so many things that are components of our history and our heritage and our culture. It's those things that are important and understanding that we need to protect that landscape as well. But we also need to look at economic growth and understand that mining is a big part of who we are. And as long as Freeport is doing it responsibly, I think that we should support them. 
 
Susan Morée: 
And last question. What else do you think is important for voters to know about your campaign? 
 
Jenny Ferranti: 
I think what's important for voters to know about my campaign is, number one, I will always listen. I'm going to listen. I'm going to make informed choices. And I'm never going to make a decision without first having information in front of me to help me make those choices. That's going to be statistics. That's going to be cost studies. That's going to be information from across different counties, across different states that are going to help me understand the issue at hand. I am always going to have an open door policy. I'm always going to be that person that's going to hear you out. If you have a good idea, let's see how we can make that happen. I think that's the big difference. Understanding that I am a mother first and foremost, and I understand that family is always going to come first and that's huge for me. Understanding that our youth need to have better opportunities here and understanding that when it comes to our youth, we need to help them with programs that are going to make them grow and be better and do whatever it is they want to do and keep them here in Grant County. I think those are huge.