Top Priorities
- Keep Bethel schools academically rigorous
- Keep Bethel schools safe havens for all Bethel children
- Keep Bethel schools vibrant hubs for enriching activities from Sports and STEAM to Music and the Performing Arts.
Why are you running?
I have two children in the Bethel Public schools. One of my daughters has a disability so I have a particular sensitivity to the needs of that community, but I also have another child who does not have a disability and her education is of equal importance. I want our schools to work well for all of the kids in Bethel and this budget cycle has been particularly galvanizing to me. I anticipate the next few years will continue to bring tough choices to our schools – be it financial or curriculum related. I think my personal and professional background would allow me to contribute in a positive way to keeping our schools the vibrant and academically rigorous institutions they currently are!
My parents were both artists and educators (a librarian and a university professor) and they raised me to value a well rounded education. I am the proud product of a public primary and university education. I feel strongly that public schools are a fundamental part of the social contract in America — that all children should have access to a top quality education and the benefits of that promise ripple out through all aspects of our community. I would be honored to play a small part in continuing to uphold that promise for our town.
Biography
My husband and I moved to Bethel, where we bought our first home over 10 years ago. My husband’s job brought us to the area, but we fell in love with the welcoming small town feel and easy access to green space. We have two daughters who are currently in elementary school (Johnson and Rockwell). We are proud to call Bethel home.
For the past twenty years I have worked in book publishing in various capacities – from large corporate publishing entities to a small literary agency. Currently I am the Director of Subsidiary Rights for Other Press, an independent publisher focused on literary fiction (mostly in translation) and non-fiction with a separately list of academic titles as well. I oversee intellectual property rights licensing for the press. It is not directly education focused but I think there is a tangential relationship to education and a life of intellectual curiosity.
For the last 5 years I have helped out with Bethel’s elections, serving in various capacities from checker to moderator.
I have often worked or volunteered with tutoring in literacy which is a personal passion. In college I tutored children with dyslexia and more recently I volunteered with Danbury Area Refugee Resettlement doing homework tutoring and English language practice with a high school student we supported.
I am in a neighborhood book club where I am regularly the slowest reader but I always bring homemade baked goods to offset my shortcomings.
If I’m not chasing after my two wild and wonderful daughters you can find me trail running or hiking (the woods are my happy place). A restless creative, I’m always working on something – in the garden, throwing pottery, knitting, baking bread, or making maple syrup. I am forever reading one of the dozens of books in my to-be-read pile!
Background and Experience
Board member, Bethel Special Education Parent Advisory Team
BA, English Literature and Studio Art, Hunter College