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.
My husband and I moved to Lexington 27 years and we raised three kids. As my kids went through the public schools I got involved with many school and community activities. At Hastings School, I started as a room parent and became PTA President, then PTA Treasurer at Diamond and president of Backers of Lexington Debate (BOLD) at the high school. I’m an enthusiastic, hardworking volunteer.
Recently I was involved with LexSeeHer and worked for two years with the team of volunteers to establish the beautiful and important women’s monument Something Is Being Done. I’m currently the chair of the town’s Bicycle Advisory Committee and I’m an advocate for safe biking and walking in town. I think our Minuteman Bikeway is a town treasure and a wonderful example of volunteers creating a positive contribution for the benefit of everyone. Projects such as these inspire me. I’m very interested in supporting town sustainability and conservation efforts.
Professionally, I work in Business Development for a global financial software company. I collaborate on projects with colleagues all over the world and I find it stimulating to work on a team to solve problems and accomplish goals.
Why are you running for Town Meeting?
I am running for reelection because I want to continue contributing to this community that I love. My family and I have had a wonderful experience living in Lexington and I enjoy contributing to town government. My two terms in Town Meeting have been rewarding and I have learned a great deal. Researching the issues, attending information sessions, reading through supporting material, and exploring both sides of each argument is what I find most interesting about Town Meeting. I especially enjoy working with other Town Meeting members and community members in the decision-making process. I bring an open mind to Town Meeting and try to consider multiple perspectives.
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?
Working in a project management role I have learned to collaborate with people from diverse perspectives and backgrounds to accomplish a common goal. In my volunteer work I have learned to cooperate and form partnerships. In my work on town projects I have learned to collaborate with decision makers from various groups such as town committees, town staff and community organizations. I enjoy meeting new people, working on a team and having some fun along the way.
I am an active listener and I consider the opinions of others. I welcome outreach from constituents and I ask appropriate questions to solicit a discussion. I appreciate learning about different opinions and exploring what information led to these opinions. The diversity of opinions is a strength of our community and what creates our rich culture. I try to understand a variety of opinions and then consider them when listening to Town Meeting debate.
What is the most important issue in this election to you personally, and what ideas do you have about how to address this issue?
The two significant issues in this election are the reassessment of the MBTA Communities zoning proposed in Article 2 and the building of the new high school.
We are faced with important issues around fair housing and economic growth. I strongly support housing diversity and affordable housing but I would like to see a pause on the MBTA Communities zoning. I did not support the MBTA Community Zoning brought to Town Meeting in 2023 because I thought Article 34 contained too much acreage to zone at one time and we still had ample time (over one year) to create a plan before the required state deadline. I think we should take the time now to evaluate the impact of this zoning bylaw to move forward with a carefully planned approach.
Another significant issue the town is facing is the building of a new high school. I support rebuilding LHS with the fastest, least disruptive option that benefits from state funding. I think we should move forward quickly to maximize the benefits of state funding, rebates, and before construction and materials prices increase even more.
I am an experienced and dedicated Town Meeting member. I will work hard to educate myself on the issues at hand, and engage with Precinct 8 constituents to understand their opinions. I would be honored to be re-elected to Town Meeting.