Unenrolled/independent

I have enjoyed over 16 years as a residential real estate agent in the Quincy area. Previously I worked at Fidelity Investments as a Quality Assurance Engineer. I hold a Bachelor of Science degree from Umass Lowell in Business Administration with a concentration in Information Systems. I am a practicing yogi and certified Vinyasa yoga teacher.

I will be a new voice with fresh ideas, a candidate without ties to developers. My commitment will be to the voters of Ward 6 and the citizens of Quincy.

Communication: I will implement regular newsletters to be mailed to households with timely and relevant news around the ward. I will make sure that public meetings are well communicated in advance so that abutters are able to participate in the process. I will offer regular opportunities to meet with residents and listen to their concerns and issues.

Housing: The lack of affordable housing has many long-time residents leaving the city. Currently developers are allowed to pay a ""fee in lieu of"" instead of including 10% of affordable units within the project. I am not in favor of the practice. I support a property tax credit for owner occupied property owners to encourage a commitment to the community and provide some financial relief to homeowners. I would also encourage and support incentives to build 55+ housing so that people can remain in Quincy as well as expanding grant and other programs to help first time home buyers.

Transportation: Public transit is unreliable; traffic is gridlocked and commuters are frustrated. I would like to see the seasonal ferry from Squantum Point Park expanded to offer year-round and weekend service with more frequent and direct trips to Boston. I have heard many people say they would use the ferry if the schedule wasn't so limited.

Over the years I have volunteered with Squantum School PTO, Star of the Sea and Saint Ann's Church, Quincy Youth Hockey, and Quincy Rotary Club. More recently I have devoted time to supporting homeless teens in Quincy Public Schools as well as the Credit for Life fair which I would like to see made available or even a requirement for all high school seniors.

I will implement regular newsletters to be mailed to households with timely and relevant news around the ward. I will make sure that public meetings are well communicated in advance so that neighbors are able to participate in the process. I will offer regular opportunities to meet with residents and listen to their concerns and issues.

I think that "against the grain" has sort of a negative vibe. Questioning a popular opinion shouldn't be perceived as a negative. I am not afraid to ask questions until I am satisfied that I have the information necessary to guide decisions or offer suggestions. I try to look at things from different perspectives and angles. I review backup documentation to support ideas and proposals. I seek to do what is best, not what is easy.

This is another one of my key campaign issues. As a real estate professional for over 16 years, I have been around long enough to have experienced the highs and lows of the market. The current market has many hard working and motivated buyers left behind. First, we need to require that all new development include construction of 10% affordable units. Second, we need a residential tax credit for owner occupied property owners. Finally, we need to expand programs that offer down payment assistance and other programs to help first time and low to moderate income buyers. We need 55+ housing so that long time owners who want to stay in Quincy will be willing to sell their homes to new buyers. We need to offer incentives that increase owner occupancy in the city so that our residents are invested in the community.

We need to start by acknowledge that we all have biases. As a Realtor I am required to participate in training to recognize explicit and implicit bias in our industry. Although our training is geared toward housing bias, the lessons can be applied to any group. We all need to learn to be more tolerant, more kind, and more respectful of everyone we encounter. A couple of high-profile incidents in recent months were troubling and we need to do better as a community. We can’t pretend it doesn’t happen and we need to condemn those that tolerate hate and bigotry.

I have followed this closely and attended several community meetings as well as viewed the two city council meetings where the matter was presented and discussed. There is no question that Granite Links is a remarkable success story. It is by all accounts a profitable and successful business on the site of a former dump. What isn’t clear to me is why 99 years? why now? There are 33 years remaining on the current lease and then it reverts to city control. Think about that. The whole operation: The buildings, the beautiful grounds, and most importantly, the profits – all of it. We need an experienced commercial real estate specialist reviewing the terms of the proposed lease on behalf of the city. We need to address the dangerous traffic situation, terrible athletic fields and lack of public access to the site, and we need to make sure the financial audits and community representation is ongoing and made public. We have an obligation to the citizens of Quincy to maximize the financial benefits to the city, and only then would I consider a favorable vote

Quincy does a pretty fantastic job with regard to waste and recycling programs. I remember the old Christmas Tree recycling program where you had to drop off your tree at the DPW and you then you would go back in the spring to pick up a little evergreen to plant. I'd like to see programs like that come back. I'd like to see school wide programs to educate kids on reducing, re-using and recycling. Quincy had one of the first residential solar programs years ago. We have wonderful services to dispose of almost anything. I think the only criticism is the way trash and debris can end up in our waterways, marshes, roadside and especially near the T tracks and stations. Perhaps Cleaner, Greener Quincy needs to happen more often than once a year. People really embrace the community cleanup the first weekend in May. I have also been told by several residents that we have a lack of EV chargers in the city. I think we need to be planning for those in all new construction.

I would need to know more about how many people living in Quincy are eligible to register to vote but do not? And then, how many are registered and do not go to the polls? Why? One of the biggest reasons I am running is to give voters a choice of candidates in ward 6. When there is only one name for an elected position it’s understandable that people choose to stay home.

As a first time political candidate who only recently established a campaign account I do not have many donations to speak of

I am proud to disclose that my son is one of the newer police officers hired in Quincy recently. I would recuse myself from any matters related to the police but have no other affiliations to speak of.

I will review any business before me with the best interests of the constituents as my guide

I am not (yet) familiar with the specifics of the current and proposed stretch code but I am respectful of the environment and support efforts to protect the planet for future generations