About Me
I grew up in New Hampshire, but come from a long line of Mainers. After living up and down the East Coast during college, graduate school and training, my husband and I chose to settle in Cape Elizabeth. Attracted to its natural beauty, open space, and the quality of the schools, it is where we decided to raise our family. Today, we share our 120 year-old home with our three children, while two old goats and a flock of chickens hang around the back yard.
Why School Board?
I am not running because Cape Elizabeth’s schools are broken. In fact, I am running for quite the opposite reason. The schools are one of this community’s greatest assets and I want to help ensure we maintain that level of excellence for this and future generations. Several factors coalesced that made it clear that this is the right time for me to step up and serve.
Personal
Next year my two youngest children will join my eldest at Pond Cove Elementary School. Having volunteered in the schools during my child’s Kindergarten and 1st grade years, I have a parent’s perspective on Pond Cove. With 13 more years of future kids in the district, I am committed to long-term planning. Furthermore, I have a mother who was a K-12 public school speech pathologist in NH, as well as an aunt who was a special education and grade 5 teacher in ME. Growing up I watched their dedication to the profession and students, as well as the challenges with which they grappled.
Professional
For 11 years, I worked as an Administrator for Education at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. My work focused on education administration for the MD, PhD, and graduate medical education programs. This role included curriculum review and reform, overseeing the construction of a new medical education building, and managing both annual operating and capital budgets. Prior to joining the School of Medicine, I worked as a Program Manager of Strategic Planning and Market Research for Johns Hopkins Hospital, which provided valuable experience in long-term planning.The education experience taught me that academic excellence is dependent upon a solid foundation of basic knowledge and that educational methods and buildings must be based upon best practices. In the medical realm, you cannot learn pathophysiology unless you understand physiology. The parallel In elementary school is that you cannot learn to read chapter books unless you have mastered decoding through phonics. Similarly, the physical building must match the needs of the students, teachers and curriculum, rather than requiring the users to adapt to it.
Community Engagement
My commitment to Cape Elizabeth is deep. I have volunteered at the Cape Elizabeth Land Trust since moving to Cape in 2013. This includes serving on the Board of Directors and Advisors, as well as 2 years as Board President. During my time on CELT’s Executive Committee, we preserved four properties, worked with the State and Town on funding and agreements, updated the strategic plan, applied for and received re-accreditation from the Land Trust Alliance, hired new staff members, and completed a $6 million capital campaign. The years involved with CELT have given me the opportunity to learn about and engage in the Cape Elizabeth community - its people, its history and its values. I gained valuable leadership experience, knowledge of non-profit governance and finances, and of course the importance of balancing competing priorities.
In 2017 I served as a member of the Cape Elizabeth Comprehensive Plan 2019 Committee. This committee reviewed and set the town goals for the next ten years. It gave me insight into aspects of town management I never knew about - from sewer pipes and traffic patterns to town staffing and demographics.
I have been a Pond Cove parent volunteer since my child began Kindergarten two years ago. While I thoroughly enjoy being a classroom coordinator, chaperoning field trips, and staffing Fun Days, my favorite school volunteer role is in the cafeteria. It is loud, exhausting, and I frequently leave with a headache! That said, it has given me on-the-ground insight into how the school schedule works, how the space works, and the interactions of staff, students and teachers. In addition, it is such a joy talking with the kids, helping a new Kindergartener open their milk, or chatting with the dedicated lunch staff as we wipe down the tables between classes.Perspective Gained Through Personal Education
I graduated from Phillips Exeter Academy, hold a bachelor's degree in public health from Johns Hopkins University and a master's degree in healthcare administration from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. My training in public health has taught me the importance of evaluating options based upon data, considering the needs and perspectives of all parties and making decisions with the best interests of, in the case of education, students in mind.