Candidate for
Council Member; City of Petaluma

I graduated from the Old Adobe and Petaluma School Districts. My husband Jerry, a graduate of Saint Vincent's High School, and we built our life here in Petaluma. As an adult and parent I attended college to become a Registered Dental Hygienist. As a woman I feel it was important to have a career and be an example to our daughters. Jerry worked 38 years in the family painting company, "Jerry Thompson and Sons Painting". We raised three daughters in Petaluma and now enjoy spending time with our six grandchildren.

I was honored to serve on the Petaluma City Council from 1998-2002. As a Councilwoman I worked closely with Caltrans and Sonoma County Transportation Authority (SCTA) on many transportation projects, the last having been completed in December 2013. The list includes, the new Northbound Washington Onramp, the Highway 101 Axillary Lane from Washington St to Lakeville, the Washingtion & McDowell Intersection.

My work on the Council extended well beyond transportation issues. I worked closely with the leaders of Coastal Conservancy and Sonoma County Open Space District to help acquire four million dollars in grant funding. All of which went towards land aquisition, wetland expansion, and the expansion of walking trails. You can now walk from the Sheraton Hotel to Shollenberger Park to the Ellis Creek Waste Water Recycling facility.

My work on the Council was never limited to the confines of the Council Chamber, as I held many community meetings at my home. These gatherings often ranged from ten to over a hundred members of the community having a voice. This was particularly effective during the negotiations over the Waste Water Treatment Facility and Deer Creek.

My work with the developers of Deer Creek is an example of how working together avoids unnecessary confrontation. As a Council Member, I will bring that to the dias.