Precinct: 2
Tell us a little about yourself. You can include your personal background, family, outside interests that are important to who you are as a person and a candidate.
I have lived in many places around the world, but Lexington, where I have lived for many years and raised my family, is my home. I am deeply committed to this community. Through my parents, I learned the importance of contributing to one’s community and providing opportunities for all to achieve the best possible lives. Those values have been passed on to my children (one of whom is a Town Meeting member) and grandchildren (too young to serve, yet). I have lived these values in my personal, professional, and community life. I have been an active contributor to the life of Lexington by serving as a volunteer in the schools and chairing the PTA at Bowman and School Councils at Bowman, Clarke, and Lexington High School. I have served as Chair of the Council on Aging, on Town committees, in Town Meeting, and as a consultant to various departments, committees and boards involved in the governance of Lexington. I currently serve on the Board of the Lexington Historical Society.
How has your past experience — whether in your professional life, elected office, or as a community leader — prepared you for a role in Town Meeting?
As a sociologist, I have studied and taught about how societies function and what makes them work. As a Director of the Center for Social Research, I have conducted research on a variety of social and societal issues for fact-finding and problem-solving. I have been able to translate the knowledge and skills I learned in these capacities into my various roles in Lexington (please see my personal biography). Serving in Town Meeting since 1994, I have learned much about governance, budgets, negotiations, and how to get things done. As Principal Investigator on the three most recent Town-wide surveys (2012, 2017, 2022), I have been able to discover the values, needs, desires, and thoughts of Town residents with respect to what people want to do and see happen in Lexington.
What is the most important issue in this election to you personally, and what ideas do you have about how to address this issue?
There are a number of issues facing Lexington in which I am particularly interested: affordable and diverse housing options; creating a welcoming environment for all; better communication between residents and Town officials; responsible stewardship of taxpayer monies; social, emotional, and academic needs of all students; increased interactions among residents and involvement of residents in the life of the community; voter participation.
To address these issues, I would advocate for new and innovative housing possibilities; support DEI efforts that focus on all residents; ensure that information flows freely and often from Town and School officials to all residents and that views and concerns of residents can easily be shared with Town and School officials; in reviewing the budget, ensure that taxpayer dollars are being spent wisely and in concert with residents’ desires; focus attention on the needs of all students with respect to stress, mental health, and academic opportunities and support at all levels and ensure that these are considered when designing and constructing a new high school; help create a better Town center where more people can congregate and enjoy Town services; and work to encourage greater voter knowledge of and participation in Town elections and governance.
As a research scientist, I am trained to seek out facts, and that would be the first thing I would do. We already know a lot about many of these issues based on years of data collection and research, so the job facing us now is to organize the facts and act on our knowledge.
One valuable resource for information is the Report on the Town-wide Survey conducted in 2022. I served as the Principal Investigator on that study and learned a great deal about the issues important to Lexington residents and how they would like to see problems solved. There were many good suggestions about the directions we should take as a community. We need to listen to those voices.
We are also fortunate to have a wealth of knowledge and experience among those who have served in government (boards and committees) in Lexington. It is important that we incorporate what they have learned in our deliberations.
In my role as a university professor, there were instances in which I had to step in and ensure collaboration among my students. In my Research Methods course, students were required to work in groups on a research project of their own design. Sometimes, there was disagreement among members of a group. The best outcome was when I reminded the members of their shared goal, which then enabled them to work out their differences and collaborate successfully. Occasionally, that was not enough, and I had to supervise a group meeting where members safely and honestly shared their views. We would identify the strengths of each member and build a working group in which the strengths guided a division of labor, ultimately leading to a successful outcome.
It is often the case that people will have diverse, even opposing, views. It is important to recognize that there is no one solution for all situations. The key is listening to people, honoring their positions, and taking their views into account. In Town Meeting, we often hear views different from our own. I have always listened and tried to see where there was common ground and a chance for consensus.
I have been fortunate to have been able to serve Lexington in a variety of ways (as can be seen in my responses to other questions), and I hope to be able to continue serving Lexington and representing my fellow Precinct 2 residents as a Town Meeting member. I faithfully attend Town Meeting sessions and contribute as a member and as a speaker on special topics. This role is important to me, and I believe I have served the Town well.