For almost 15 years, my family has called Bexley home. My husband, Aaron, and I have two daughters, Lilly and Amelia, who are 2nd graders at Maryland Elementary School. We feel very fortunate to live in a wonderful community with high-quality schools to prepare our daughters for the future.

Throughout my career, I have been a values-driven advocate working to pass and promote important legislation and initiatives on education, health care, diversity, and strengthening community trust. My work has always required me to build and manage large, diverse coalitions of community stakeholders, subject matter experts, and others who care about the cause. I would bring this same inclusive approach to my role as school board member. 

When it comes to improving education and ensuring Bexley schools have the resources needed to remain one of the best districts in the state, I take a hands-on approach. That is why I volunteered for the Committee for Bexley Excellence, which successfully passed the last Bexley Schools’ operating levy. In that role, I went door-to-door securing votes, talking with voters, and helping them understand the importance of passing the levy. During these conversations, I heard how proud residents are of our schools and our high-quality academics. For many residents, including myself, they moved to or moved back home to Bexley so their children could attend Bexley Schools. 

Despite the pandemic, I have remained engaged in the school district. For example, I participated in events hosted by the company that led the search for our superintendent and provided feedback on the search; and I attended events to hear directly from superintendent candidates. Last spring, I participated in the Community/Parent Bexley Diversity Equity and Inclusion English and Language Arts Secondary Curriculum Audit Working Group to learn about the English and language art materials students are reading.

Since starting this journey on the 2019 levy campaign, and over the last several months, I have listened to residents and heard their recommendations for improving their children’s educational experiences and the culture of the schools. I want to honor the community’s high expectations and vision  for our education system, capitalize on the district’s successes, and support district policies to close gaps so each student can thrive academically as well as socially and emotionally.