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 came to the United States in 1994 and trained as a scientist, earning a PhD in biochemistry from Boston University and a master’s degree in computer science from UMass Boston. My career has spanned both the pharmaceutical industry and enterprise technology—about half as a research scientist focused on drug discovery and half as a software engineer and architect supporting commercial and federal clients.
My husband, our son Yusheng, and I moved to Lexington in 2007. We are a quiet, introverted “engineer family,” but over time we have become deeply connected to the community. I have volunteered with many local organizations and served in both volunteer and board roles, often working on cross-cultural and community-building efforts.
Outside of work and volunteering, I enjoy history, travel, writing, gardening, and the arts. I am naturally curious and enjoy learning—whether about ancient civilizations or new technologies. Recently, I have enjoyed expressing the flowers in my garden through different art forms, including Chinese ink painting, oil painting, music, and storytelling, sometimes connecting them with historical women through the creative use of new AI tools.
Why are you running for Town Meeting?
I am running for Town Meeting because Lexington has been a place where my family has felt supported in both everyday life and difficult moments, and because I care deeply about this town as a place to live—not just today, but over the long term.
When my son was growing up, I was grateful that Lexington’s schools and peer environment encouraged learning and responsibility without requiring constant pressure from parents. That balance helped my son stay happy and allowed us to maintain a healthy parent–child relationship, which I value deeply.
I have also experienced Lexington’s strong sense of community in quieter ways.
During a time when many Asian immigrant families felt uneasy, a neighbor named Lisa came to my house to help identify a vehicle parked in my driveway, simply to make sure we were safe. Years later, when I decided to run for Town Meeting, that same spirit showed itself again—neighbors helped me collect 17 nomination signatures in just two days.
Through volunteering, I have consistently met people who are open-minded, welcoming, and generous with their time. As someone in my mid-50s, I am thinking more about aging in place, affordable housing, and preserving strong schools, arts, and culture for future generations. Town Meeting is one way I hope to give back to a community that has quietly shown up for my family again and again.
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?
My professional background has trained me to work carefully with complex information, weigh trade-offs, and make decisions with long-term impact in mind. Over the course of more than two decades, I have worked as a research scientist, software engineer, and systems architect in both the pharmaceutical and technology sectors, regularly balancing competing requirements and perspectives—skills that translate well to the work of Town Meeting.
My community involvement grew gradually and organically. I began with small volunteer roles such as language interpretation at food pantries and helping with cultural programs. During COVID, I helped coordinate the collection of personal protective equipment from China and its donation to hospitals, clinics, and senior centers in Massachusetts and New York. Those experiences brought me closer to community life and everyday realities.
I later co-created the bilingual Discover Lexington interview series to support civic understanding—especially for first-generation immigrants—through personal and organizational stories. Serving on town committees such as the Council for the Arts, Tourism Committee, and Town Celebrations Committee, as well as with organizations including CAAL, NLCC, Lexington Lyceum Advocate, and the Cary Library Foundation, gave me firsthand experience with how Lexington makes decisions and balances different community needs.
I am not perfect, and I still navigate language barriers at times, but I keep learning.
I believe there should be no fixed positions when approaching an issue.
Differences in priorities are common, and situations need to be understood case by case, with the goal of reaching an outcome that most parties—if not all—can accept.
A common discussion in planning arts and cultural events is how to balance artistic presentation with sponsor recognition. The arts team often prefers to focus promotional materials on the performances, while the sponsorship team seeks clearer visibility for sponsors. Having seen projects struggle without sufficient sponsorship, I initially leaned toward the sponsorship perspective. When the arts team proposed a separate sponsor video, I was open to the idea, but raised a practical concern that videos are less effective when audiences need quick access to information such as QR codes.
We ultimately reached a compromise: the main promotional piece focused on artistic content, followed by sponsor flyers that provided clear and prominent visibility. The solution was not perfect, but it respected both artistic integrity and sponsor needs. In community work, people bring different views and interests, and a positive attitude and willingness to listen are essential for moving forward together.
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 issue that matters most to me is how housing, zoning, and taxes work together to shape who can continue to live in Lexington. And as a gardener and environmental advocate, I hope we can have more community garden space.
As someone in my mid-50s, I think often about affordability and stability over the long term. I want Lexington to remain a town where people who have invested years here are not forced to leave because of rising costs, and where future generations can still access strong public education without placing unsustainable pressure on families.
Zoning decisions should be made thoughtfully, with attention to infrastructure, neighborhood character, schools, and fiscal impact. I believe we should approach these questions carefully, using data, listening to residents, and considering long-term consequences. At the same time, we need to be honest about costs. Taxes matter to residents, especially seniors and fixed-income households, and financial decisions should be transparent and responsible.
What I bring is a willingness to listen, ask questions, and look at trade-offs clearly. My goal is to support policies that balance affordability, sustainability, and fairness, so Lexington can remain a welcoming, stable community for both current residents and those who come after us.