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 am fortunate that I have lived in Lexington most of my life. My husband and I raised our three sons here and have always been grateful to be able to enjoy such a special community. I have been active through the years on various committees, including the School Committee, Recreation Committee, Town Meeting, Community Preservation Committee, Lexington Bicycle Advisory, Council on Aging Board, and served as President of the League of Women Voters.
Why are you running for Town Meeting?
I am running because I believe in citizens taking an active role in their community and working together to improve and sustain the quality of life to be enjoyed by all. Having grown up in Lexington, and having benefitted from its many advantages as a progressive community—a fine education, varied recreational opportunities, a keen appreciation of our important role in history, and a strong Town government of involved citizens—I want to continue that tradition.
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 truly believe that my experience with various committees has given me a special understanding of how our Town should function to best serve all of our citizens. My professional life in community relations representing a large bank also taught me some valuable skills which have been useful in my volunteering activities in Lexington.
The most important job of a Town Meeting member is to study the issues before us, and to LISTEN to our constituents to better arrive at the best course of action. We must also have a clear understanding of our own core beliefs to be able to decide issues in an open and honest way.
What is the most important issue in this election to you personally, and what ideas do you have about how to address this issue?
I have always believed that we need more affordable housing for the many folks who are unable to afford to spend millions of dollars to live here. I’m originally from East Lexington, when it was a true working class area. Our family would never have been able to move here today. Many years later we have been unable to provide the affordable housing to ensure a truly diverse community—not just culturally diverse, but also economically diverse. Hopefully, we now seem to be better understanding the need for some multifamily housing, which could provide better opportunities for true diversity in our Town.