MISSION & VISION
As your Cochecton Town Councilmember, I want to ensure that all town business is accessible and open to the public. I believe every voice must be heard and that transparency and access are fine places to start. We have busy lives and just because you can't attend a meeting in person doesn't mean you should be excluded from having a say in what is happening in your town with your tax dollars.
Long term, I want to provide support to the Volunteer Ambulance Corp and preserve and protect our landscape, natural resources and water. I'd like to leverage Cochecton's beauty and untapped potential to the shared benefit of its residents and guests. This includes supporting and promoting the small businesses that call Cochecton home, attracting new ones and cultivating unused public lands and green spaces for the health, wellness and enjoyment of residents.
TOP CAMPAIGN ISSUES:
Supporting the Volunteer Ambulance Corp.;
Transparency and inclusion on all town business;
Expanding public green spaces;
Preserving natural resources; and
Attracting and supporting small businesses, particularly arts organizations.
ABOUT ME
My drive and dedication, along with the breadth of my life experiences, make me an ideal candidate for Town Council. I had a very unconventional and tumultuous childhood. I once lived in the deep woods with my deaf parents in a tin shed with no electricity or running water. Through hard work and determination, I have gone on to become a business leader with experience in commercial banking, law, publicity, marketing, event planning and publishing and now am the sole owner and operator of a successful comedy club.
Growing up "off the grid" with a family that
struggled, I know first-hand the toll addiction, mental illness,
poverty and isolation can take on a family, as well as the
particular challenges facing those with disabilities. I remain an
advocate for those not born into privilege and believe all deserve a
chance at bettering themselves and the world around them.
VOLUNTEERING, ADVOCACY & RECOGNITIONS
* To help the Sullivan County community, under my own initiative, I created an interactive, user-friendly Google map of vaccination sites and volunteered at vaccination clinics. My efforts were profiled in the Sullivan County Democrat.
* Time Out New York named me one of NY's Women of the Year for 2020 for work and advocacy during COVID.
* Received a 2020 Commendation Award by the State Senate for volunteer work and advocacy for small businesses during COVID.
* Volunteer mentor with Hour Children mentoring children whose parents are incarcerated.
* Volunteer with Fortune Society providing essential support to the formerly incarcerated, including housing assistance, job training, education and transitioning to civilian life.
* After the passing of the bill I helped write and lobby for, Deputy Majority leader Senator Michael Gianaris called me a “trusted leader in our small business community and a relentless advocate who approaches advocacy with a resilient spirit and a smile for all.”
POLITICAL EXPERIENCE
* As Membership Director of the NY chapter of the National Independent Venue Association (NYIVA / NIVA), I gained valuable experience working hand-in-hand with Sen. Chuck Schumer's office on the bipartisan “Save Our Stages” bill and Shuttered Venue Operators Grant which was passed in December 2019.
* At the request of the Governor's office, I wrote a detailed proposal for reopening that was approved by NY State counsel, the NY Dept of Health and the State Liquor Authority.
* In 2021, I helped craft and successfully lobbied for a bill that was passed by the NY State Senate. The bill protected small business owners in NY State from personal liability due to COVID-related commercial debts.
* S erve on the Small Business Advisory Council chaired by Deputy Majority Leader Senator Michael Gianaris.
