Precinct: 1
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’ve lived in Lexington since 1988 with my husband Frank. We have two kids–now adults–who still live in the area. We live in an 18th-century farmhouse that we have enjoyed restoring over the years, as well as researching its history. The experience of living and caring for this home has also given me a real appreciation for the land and neighborhood that at one time comprised 180 acres of Reed Farm.
I have a conservation ethic and try to waste as little as possible. I also feel a responsibility to share those values in ways that serve the community at large as we consider a sustainable and resilient future in the face of climate change. I do that by volunteering for the community nonprofits LexZeroWaste and LexFarm, which I helped found. Both are dedicated to sustainability and community engagement, and they couldn’t be a better fit for who I am!
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?
The most important experience that prepared me for serving in Town Meeting was when I was in high school, and my parents encouraged me to help with a grassroots effort to pass a Bottle Bill in Massachusetts. The experience of learning about the issue–so that I could talk to people about it and explain why I thought it was important–was invaluable. Being interviewed by the newspaper and talking to people on the street – helped me develop convictions of my own and an ability to engage with others respectfully, even when we disagreed.
What is the most important issue in this election to you personally, and what ideas do you have about how to address this issue?
This election does not have “issues” on the ballot, only candidates. However, we do have a warrant for a Town Meeting with 54 Articles that I believe comprise the collection of “ideas” that committees and citizens have put forth to address many important issues. My role as a Town Meeting member is to carefully consider each of the Articles and vote on each one based on what I believe will result in a better Lexington.
In evaluating the Articles, of particular importance to me are whether and how any of the Articles have considered climate change, systemic racism, and full inclusion for those with disabilities in their proposals. This is important to me because we have passed several Resolutions in past Town Meetings stating that we will consider these factors in all our decision-making.
After this year’s Town Meeting concludes, I will continue working with those in our community particularly focused on new ideas for addressing Lexington’s waste and other climate-focused initiatives, and I look forward to some of those ideas perhaps showing up as Articles in a future Town Meeting!
Most of my experience collaborating with others has been as part of teams dedicated to a common vision or goal, whether it was working leading-edge (at the time!) software or working and volunteering for community nonprofits. Rarely have I found myself in a situation with true adversaries. In every setting where meaningful decisions were made, whether professional or volunteer, I have had the good fortune to work with principled, talented, dedicated, and passionate team members.
But passion’s partner can often be tunnel vision – the single-minded view that there is only one “right way’ to an outcome. And so I have been in situations working with others when it becomes clear that it will take far too much time or cost far too much money to realize the “right” solution, whether that was mine or someone else’s. At these times, I have found the phrase “let’s not let the perfect be the enemy of the good” very helpful. It is not a classic “compromise” where both sides have to give something up; rather it is a choice to move forward versus stalling and still do something good. And it also grounds me in reality because, as it turns out, there is actually no perfect solution for anything!
I want to invite any Precinct 1 residents who read this to please feel free to contact me and express your opinions on any issue, especially Articles you see in the Warrant that we will be voting on at Town Meeting. There are often many different considerations for a vote, and I would like, as much as possible, to factor in your thoughts and views.