About / Bio
I grew up in Mo Co and ate my share of those MoCo school lunches back in the day. My husband Dan and I met in law school at Georgetown, and put down our roots in Takoma Park in the mid 90’s. Before that we lived in Shepherd Park across the D.C. line: we kept the same Metro station, and we gained the vote!
Our two kids, who are now grown, both loved their childhoods here: they were happy preschoolers at TPCDC on Tulip Ave and loved “walk pooling” to TPES and Piney Branch. They tried out most of the neighborhood summer camps and after school activities; for them, soccer was the winner. Now we have a 2-year-old grandson just up the road, who keeps us smiling.
I work part time as a natural resources consultant; Dan retired from his post in the government to pursue his other interests; you can hear him on Tuesday nights playing jazz piano at Takoma Station Tavern (or any day, as you walk past our house).
Over the course of my working life, I’ve been an environmental lawyer and advocate working to secure a sustainable supply of seafood and clean water for people in the US and around the world. My job has taken me to many corners of the globe. Each time, I return home appreciating Takoma Park even more: its green spaces, its walkability and access to transit, and the wonderful people and foods! These are qualities worth savoring and protecting, and can’t be taken for granted.
My experience
Besides my work as a lawyer specializing in clean water (such as stormwater and other permitting requirements), and a policy analyst working with governments to help them develop plans for food security in the face of climate uncertainty, I have been active in Takoma Park’s civic affairs for many years. My efforts include:
- Chairing the Complete Safe Streets Committee (recently dissolved), which drafted recommendations for revising the rules for residents to request new sidewalks and traffic calming measures.
- Representing the community on the Montgomery County Vision Zero Equity Task Force, seeking to improve traffic safety outcomes in areas of the county with lower incomes and higher percentages of minority residents.
- Serving on the MD DOT’s Takoma Junction Vision Study Stakeholder Advisory Group, which developed a consensus vision for how the Junction could best be modified to serve community interests.
In addition, I recently chaired a Community Town Hall on Affordable Housing sponsored by Community Vision for Takoma, with County Executive Marc Elrich as our special guest, to explore the challenges we face in preserving Takoma Park’s rent stabilization program under pressure from development and zoning changes, as well as the arrival of the Purple Line.
If you want to know more about my professional background, see my Council Fire website and LinkedIn profile.