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Introduce yourself and what you believe differentiates you from other candidates.
My broad experience and deep understanding of Lexington’s operations and finances, and my human resources and labor relations background, are all unique qualifications which differentiate me from my opponent. I have served six years on the Select Board, including two as Chair. Prior to that, I served 12 years in Town Meeting and five on the Capital Expenditures Committee (CEC), including four as Chair. I also served as President of the Bridge School PTA, on numerous town committees including the Zoning Board of Appeals, Safe Routes to School, and the Sidewalk Committee, and on the Boards of the Lexington Education Foundation and Temple Isaiah. I have been a long-term facilitator for MLK Day Community Conversations and liaison to the Human Rights Committee. I have a B.S. from Cornell University in Industrial and Labor Relations and a J.D. from Vanderbilt University. I worked professionally as a Labor Attorney, including for the Brookline Public Schools, and as a Human Resources Director.
What are the key issues you are addressing in your campaign?
What are the key issues you are addressing in your campaign?
Affordable Housing: I chaired the Committee (SRD) which created incentive zoning for development of affordable, accessible, and attainable housing, and strengthened protections for sensitive sites. I actively work with the Affordable Housing Trust, LexHAB, Housing Partnership Board to advance our affordable and attainable housing and have earned all their support.
DEI: I wrote the Article to change the name from “Selectmen” to “Select Board,” because language matters. I was instrumental in hiring our first Chief Equity Officer, our first racial equity consultants, and creating a Citizen’s Advisory Board. I work to ensure accessibility and equity in all projects and increase diversity in our workforce.
Finances: As former CEC chair, I helped create the dedicated funding stream for LHS renovation which has provided over $20m toward the debt service in its first years. I have brought an analytical eye to our ability to increase town staff and services while keeping a commitment to avoid Prop 2 ½ operating overrides.
Public transportation: I am a consistent advocate for public transportation and worked with the Select Board to introduce the new $20 Lexpress Limitless Pass. I worked with our Economic Development office to create transportation partnerships like the REV shuttle, to increase alternative transit options.
Schools: I worked on financial planning for the new LHS as CEC chair, planning to defray the impact of the cost to taxpayers. On the Select Board, I have furthered that financial work to moderate tax burden on residents, ensure continuing access to recreation resources, and focus on making it environmentally and financially sustainable to serve the entire community.
What are your top policy priorities?
What are your top policy priorities?
Continue policies that increase affordable, accessible, and attainable housing. Lexington has long included increasing affordable and diverse housing as a goal. With last year’s zoning changes, we are making the first steps toward providing for creation of that housing. I fully support Article 33 at this year’s Town Meeting which provides an opportunity for possible creation of a fully affordable housing development, served by our public transportation and adjacent to neighborhoods and commercial resources.
Continue planning for a new high school that is environmentally and financially sustainable and able to serve the entire community. LHS will be the largest capital project in Lexington History. To mitigate that impact on taxpayers, I introduced capital planning for the cost as CEC Chair over 10 years ago, helped create a dedicated funding source for the debt, timed the impact to coincide with the reduction of prior debt and will continue to ensure we comply with our leading sustainable building requirements.
What message would you like to convey to the voters of Lexington?
What message would you like to convey to the voters of Lexington?
As a Select Board member, I have worked collaboratively with town staff, my colleagues and community members to advance an agenda which supports the whole community. I love Lexington. I have lived here 30 years, my husband and I raised our children here and my mom lives in town. Every day I work with residents who give their time and expertise to make Lexington the amazing community we all call home. My goal is to continue to promote the values and accomplishments that make us a welcoming community, as a home, a workplace, a destination, and to build our strengths to meet the challenges of the future. My support for sustainability initiatives, including budget allocation to add a Sustainability and Resilience Officer, solar systems installations, fleet electrification, resilience planning, town-wide composting, significant investment in green infrastructure and sustainable building design, combined with my capital planning experience, and active role in financial planning, my collaborative work in the region and across the commonwealth for transportation, climate resiliency, housing and DEI strategies have brought real improvements and opportunities to Lexington, strengthened our place in the region and our relationships with our neighbors, our labor unions and workforce. I ask for your vote on Tuesday March 5th to continue to work for everyone in our community.
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