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 been a Lexington resident (Precinct 5) for over 13 years and I am a parent of two children in Lexington Public Schools, at Fiske (5th grade) and Diamond (7th grade).
My family and I love the Lexington community and the people whom we have met here through the schools, sports, and other activities. We are active users and supporters of Lexington’s many wonderful outdoor resources. We can often be found walking to Lexington Center on the Bikeway, or taking our dog for a walk or a run through Lower Vine Brook or Willard’s Woods.
Professionally, I am a detail-oriented analytical and data driven thinker with an engineering and business background (Ph.D., Electrical Engineering, Stanford; MBA, MIT Sloan School of Management). I have worked in product development for over 20 years in industries including telecommunications, LED lighting, and displays. I have most recently worked on climate tech and clean energy solutions to help to address climate change.
Why are you running for Town Meeting?
Lexington is facing major decisions which will have significant impacts on residents, especially Lexington’s children. We all need to be engaged in these discussions. I have actively participated in town-wide discussions on issues such as the 2019 school redistricting process and literacy education in our schools. It is time to take a more formal role by joining our unique representative Town Meeting governing process. I believe in transparency and understanding the facts before making informed decisions on the questions brought to Town Meeting. I enjoy meeting other Lexingtonians and hearing their stories and concerns. I have the interest and the energy to be an informed, effective, and committed Town Meeting member.
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?
I have been an active participant in many issues affecting the town including:
2019 LPS redistricting discussions–I collaborated with the community, neighbors, and LPS to identify a solution to meet enrollment capacity priorities while maintaining safe walking and biking routes to Lexington’s six elementary schools. Together with other parents I requested data from LPS and used this to model scenarios. This allowed us to understand the different options in-depth. We used the results to advocate effectively for a better solution than the one originally put forth by the schools.
Active parent participant in the LPS Community Input Team (CIT) for Full Return (2021)
Member, Dyslexia Parents Group of Lexington (a subgroup of LexSEPTA), 2019–present.
Parent Member, LPS Dyslexia Task Force, 2021–2022
I have volunteered actively in community organizations, including as:
Co-leader of Lexington Girl Scout Troop 83234, 2021–present
Former parent coach for Lexington United Soccer (LUSC), K-6 (Diamond and travel)
Current parent coach at Waltham Track Club (with many Lexington runners)
Member of the Lex Caroling group organizing annual Christmas Eve caroling at Hastings Park
Former Safe Routes to School (SRTS) coordinator for Fiske Elementary
Through these activities I have met fellow Lexingtonians and have gained an understanding of their diverse perspectives and priorities. I will bring this understanding and my own bent towards data driven decisions to TM.
What is the most important issue in this election to you personally, and what ideas do you have about how to address this issue?
Lexington has needed to address overcrowding and aging infrastructure at the high school for years. The town and School Building Committee have gone through a multi-year process to develop a proposal and plan compatible with MSBA funding, with extensive community input. This plan includes allowances for up to 35% more students. At the same time, Town Meeting voted in 2023 to increase by-right zoning for multi-family dwellings to a level far above and beyond the requirements of the MBTA Communities act. It is right to question proceeding with current capacity estimates if the town housing stock could double through by-right multi-family development. The right thing to do to fix this, though, is to revisit the zoning adjustments and bring them back to the level of compliance, without excess, not to block the high school project. So the most important issue in this election is whether the voters will elect Town Meeting members who will vote for Article 2 (I will) in the upcoming Special Town Meeting on March 17th. This is followed in close second place by whether voters will elect Town Meeting members who will support moving forwards with the new high school project, in order to provide Lexington students with an appropriate learning environment. The town should separately engage in town-wide discussions over what level of growth is desirable, and in what forms. We need to ensure that growth is manageable and consistent with what the town infrastructure including roads, police, fire, and schools can support.
I would like for Precinct 5 voters to share their opinions and concerns with me. I will try to weigh the best interests of Precinct 5 voters when voting on issues at Town Meeting. I believe that it is important to hear all voices before making decisions, not just the loudest ones. I am personally continually learning about the functioning of our Town. I encourage all town residents to do the same and to share their thoughts in open dialog with each other. That is how we can arrive at the best solutions for our community. I welcome questions and concerns from Precinct 5 voters through DAVISforLexTM.org.
I look forward to serving Precinct 5 voters as a Town Meeting member. I have included more information on myself and my positions at DAVISforLexTM.org. This site also contains a link for Precinct 5 residents to contact me to share their questions and concerns.