Candidate for
Governing Board Member; Hermosa Beach City School District

My political philosophy is that healthy schools make healthy communities. Since moving to Hermosa Beach in 2008, I have worked in a variety of capacities towards this end. I was a member of the Hermosa Valley School Site Council for four years. Partnering with teachers, administrators and other parents, we annually created a Single Plan for Student Achievement that identified areas in need of improvement and set forth measurable solutions. In 2013, I was appointed to and chaired the Hermosa Beach School District Facilities Planning Advisory Committee. During my tenure, I advocated for greater community outreach, a bond measure supported by project lists, costs, and the need for a vision that the entire community embraced. Recently, I helped found the Hermosa Beach Educational Renewal Operation (HermosaHERO.com). Our mission is to educate, inspire and empower the community to create a 21st century school district recognized for its excellence

Everyone benefits when families choose Hermosa Beach as home. Families shop and dine locally, families are vigilante about their neighborhoods, and families participate civically to protect what they love and value. The demand for homes created by families also enhances property values. And families choose Hermosa Beach because of our schools.

Hermosa Beach has consistently demonstrated a tradition of excellence academically. We have an award winning middle school Science Olympiad team, we have been a California Distinguished School three times and a Blue Ribbon School twice. Everyday our teachers show up ready to teach and our students arrive ready to learn. And they do so in inadequate facilities. Approximately one third of our student population is housed in makeshift and portable classrooms. Moreover, the school district continues to spend money on short term solutions to the overcrowding problem and yet we offer only one foreign language class in middle school and we have no music curriculum.

I am running for Hermosa Beach School Board to help guide the district as it moves toward a bond measure to bring our school district into the 21st century. I believe the bond measure must be backed by specificity and costs and must reflect the vision of the community. I will ensure transparency and accountability on all capital improvements financed by a bond measure. I will also make sure that we are allocating our resources effectively so that teachers and students have the tools and skills they need to succeed.

My academic and professional background will prove an asset as I help the school district undertake the business of education from implementing changing regulations to making sure teachers and staff have the necessary training and support in place to continue their tradition of excellence. I have a BA from the University of Pennsylvania in Urban Studies and a JD from Tulane University. I have spent most of my professional life in real estate, an area dictated by contracts, negotiations, and most importantly understanding a client's needs. As a school board member, I would view myself first and foremost as a public servant, willing to listen, find answers, exchange ideas and to provide the kind of leadership any great system of governance needs.