*Why are you running for elected office in Bedford?

The character of Bedford has and continues to be amazing. I have been involved and attending the various meetings for years. Since my children are all grown, I now have the time to dedicate to public service. I would like to see Bedford retain the small town feel while ensuring growth of our tax base. I am concerned about our green spaces and the best way to preserve the undeveloped areas of town.

*Within your authority as an elected official, what issues do you plan to address in order to improve our community?

I would like to improve community relations and encourage neighbors to get involved. It would be amazing to see people participate in our local government on a regular basis, not just when there is a controversy or crisis. I would like to explore solutions to the current and future PFOA crisis in Bedford and I would like to continue the process that our Telecommunications Committee started to bring lower cost broadband services to Bedford. I would like to work with the department heads to collaborate on needs-vs-wants and to collect the data to back up those positions. The world has changed in the last few years, and with that we need to review our daily operations to see where we can improve function and reduce redundancy.

*How will your skills/background contribute to the position you are running for?

As a Speech-Language Pathologist, I have excellent written and verbal communication skills. I love to research topics, process information, and then make logical / factual decisions. I have a history of working collaboratively with existing Town Council members, town department heads, and can analyze facts and figures to come up with reasonable solutions. Also, the PFOA is a crisis affecting many residents. Having lived with a contaminated well in the late 1990’s, I can understand first-hand the difficulties that these residents are facing. If I am fortunate enough to be elected to the Town Council, I will do my best to listen to our neighbors, because that is what we are — neighbors.