Table of Contents
Biographical
I have lived in Winchester since 2020, when my family and I relocated from Colorado following a job opportunity for my husband. I live with my husband, our children (ages 8 and 10) and my parents. As part of an intergenerational household, I am sensitive to the needs not only of young families with children but also our older residents.
Professionally, I am a clinical social worker at Massachusetts General Hospital in the Division of Palliative Care and Geriatric Medicine where I am the Social Work and Spiritual Care Lead as well as the Bereavement Coordinator. I completed my Master of Social Work at University of Connecticut in Community Organizing and Macro Social Work Practice. I completed a Master of Divinity at Yale University and am ordained in the Episcopal tradition. Through my ordained ministry I am speaker and lecturer, serving as a member of the Healthy Congregations Task Force committed to identifying and cultivating strategies for well-being and vitality within communities.
In the Fall of 2024, I was elected Town Meeting Member by special election to represent Precinct 5 filling a partial vacancy. It was during this exposure to Town Meeting and the importance of local representative government that I was inspired to seek candidacy for a three-year term.
I thoroughly enjoy giving of my time to various volunteer opportunities throughout Winchester. My children attend Ambrose Elementary School and I am engaged with Parent to Parent and WinPAC (Winchester's Special Education Parent Advisory Council). I am active in our local community, supporting efforts through ENKA, WFEE, the Network for Social Justice and Mystic Valley Elder Services. I serve as a Den Leader with Scouts of America Troop #507. I am also a head coach with Winchester Soccer Club. I attend Parish of the Epiphany Episcopal Church where I am a church school teacher and volunteer. I volunteer with Rise Against Hunger and The Dwelling Place Soup Kitchen in Woburn. I have been one of the planners for our neighborhood block party in the Lakeview/Ravenscroft neighborhood.
I would value your vote. As the mother of two young children I want my family – and all our families – to live in a true community. Community is about more than just good schools and safe streets, although those are essential – community is about a collective commitment to each other, for each other. At a time when so much seems broken in our country, I am committed to being a voice of integrity, care, and vision, to being your voice in Town Meeting to ensure our community is one that not only delivers for you, but also does so in a way that makes Winchester a place marked by kindness, compassion, and shared care for our town.
Town Meeting Candidate Specific Questions
I value transparency and open communication. I will commit to making myself available for conversation and dialogue around any decision that is made by Town Meeting and any vote that I cast as a Town Meeting Member. Prior to town meeting I plan to solicit feedback about upcoming issues by speaking with those in my precinct as well as those across Winchester. I am a presence in the community and I enjoy speaking with people, hopefully we can make open communication and dialogue a two way process.
One of Town Meeting's most important responsibilities is the stewardship of your money. We are entrusted with ensuring that every dollar the town spends is spent responsibly, transparently, and improves the quality of life in our town. So, I will evaluate spending proposals with care and commitment as one would a thoughtful household budget. We can't spend more than we have, and what we have, we need to ask – is it good value for money? Is this a sound and worthwhile investment? What tradeoffs are there if we spend money on this versus that? How can we get the most good out of each dollar we steward? I approach this fiduciary responsibility with an understanding that a budget expresses our shared goals and values and is a tool for making an impact on our community to help keep us strong, vital, and growing.
