Candidate for
Board Member; Cambrian School District

Values and Political Philosophy

I was raised in a first generation Sicilian family. My parents valued their Christian beliefs, a good education, hard work, collaboration, problem solving, respectfulness, and especially stewardship―choosing service to others over self interest. Their values shaped my philosophy and they demonstrated these values through actions. My mother ran the home and cared for her four children, as well as her blind mother and her dependent sister. My father retired early from his career as coffee commodities trader in NYC because the demands of the job compromised his hope for a work-life balance and desire to serve others. Instead, he started a household supplies business, acquired and managed rental properties, and collected used clothing from his affluent clients to distribute to disadvantaged families in southern Connecticut. He ran his enterprise all from a small cluttered desk in the family room and everyone collaborated--My twin brother and I were the maintenance department--to make the business successful and our lives full.

My father would quote Winston Churchill whenever I moaned about chores or unwillingness to share. He would say, "We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give." Of course, I didn't appreciate this gift of words immediately; in time I did. These values and this quote provide the guiding principles in each of the many roles that I have attempted and will attempt in life. They also shape my philosophies.

The cornerstones of my political philosophy are an exceptional education, continuous improvement, hard work, collaboration, accountability, and stewardship. As political leaders of the School District we have responsibility to provide a good example to our students through our actions. Silicon Valley is highly competitive and Cambrian's resolve to provide exceptional education for our children is the key to their remarkable future. My ability to become part of this board quickly is imperative to our effectiveness. Continuous improvement is a commitment to make changes for the greater good; it's an attitude of championship teams who refuse to settle for less and will to sacrifice for a common goal. Hard work is the relentlessly pursuit to accomplish goals. As a Board Member, we owe our constituents to always "show up big" by coming prepared, curious, and objective. Board collaboration with the superintendent and the public is necessary to extract the right questions, discover the best solutions, and maintain focus on the critical issues. Shared leadership and the practice of give and take fosters consensus and is the product of collaboration. Stewardship, of course, is a choice of selflessness as well as a resolve to share leadership in the change process within our School District. Ultimately, I am mindful of our role to hold the organization accountable for academic and fiscal performance. This requires setting SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Acceptable, Realistic, Time-bound) that are clear and shared, as well as, and taking action if goals are missed. I believe my philosophy encompasses the traits of a high performance School Board and I welcome the opportunity to serve.