Issues

MY PRIORITIES

  • Strengthening Public and Higher Education: I have a son in fourth grade. I will help our schools get the local and state resources needed to help every child succeed regardless of the zip code they live in. I spent more than a decade working in higher education. I will work to ensure that high school graduates have access to an affordable college education.

  • Tackling Affordability and Cost of Living: My family is feeling the effects of the economy. I will fight the rising costs that make it hard to afford healthcare, housing, taxes, groceries, utilities, for young families to plant roots, and businesses to thrive.

  • Creating Jobs and Promoting Workforce Development: I served for four years on the RI Governor’s Workforce Board. I will ensure that we invest in the people and employers that are the backbone of our state. We must provide a multitude of career pathways as well as trade and apprenticeship programs that help provide good jobs and livable wages.

  • Supporting Our Seniors: I have aging parents. I will work to protect senior services, senior citizens on fixed incomes and social security, and ensure our seniors can age at home with dignity in the town they helped build.

  • Protecting and Preserving Open Space: My family enjoys Smithfield and Glocester’s unique character and natural beauty. I will protect our natural resources, trails and parks, open space, historical sites, and will help secure funding to maintain and preserve our outdoor jewels.

  • Building and Strengthening Our Community: I’ve had the honor of supporting and leading the way on many initiatives in Smithfield, including helping to save and rehab the East Smithfield Neighborhood Center, designing and building the Smithfield Dog Park, creating the Smithfield Youth Council, hiring a grant writer who has brought in hundreds of thousands of dollars, enhancing our ball fields and parks, reimagining and revamping our animal shelter which we now share with three bordering communities, and serving on the Elementary Reconfiguration Committee that designed and built the new wing of Pleasant View Elementary and made upgrades to our other schools.

  • Improving Quality of Life: I will continue to be accessible and think outside of the box for opportunities and financial investments at the local and state level that will benefit everyone. Your elected officials should try to make your life better by fighting for you, not with you.

 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

 

• Lead the effort to save and rehabilitate the East Smithfield Neighborhood Center

• Co-founded the Smithfield Youth Council which is a thriving program for youth leadership in our community

• Created the Smithfield Samaritans Program where the Town Council recognizes residents and businesses who go above and beyond in service to their fellow neighbors

• Spearheaded the fundraising efforts and creation of the Smithfield Dog Park

• Assisted with reimagining and revamping our animal shelter which we now share with three bordering communities

• Hired our grant writer who has brought in hundreds of thousands of dollars for our community

• Served on the Elementary Reconfiguration and School Building Committees for the brand-new Pleasant View Elementary School addition and upgrades to all other schools

• Created the town’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Taskforce

• Voted to fully fund the school budget, served on the Citizens Advisory Group that advocated for full-day kindergarten, advanced placement courses, art and music education, CTE Pathway Programs, and technology upgrades in every classroom

• Helped lead the effort in creating first-ever agreement with Bryant University in which they annually contribute to the town hundreds of thousands of dollars toward providing police, fire and rescue services to campus

• Supported the adoption of an Economic Overlay District along Route 116/7, creating the opportunity for responsible commercial growth (smart growth) to help offset the tax burden on homeowners

• Supported the effort to conduct a feasibility study of our Fire Department, and as a result, the town recently renovated our fire stations. I also supported and championed the construction of the new Smithfield Police station renovation