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Dear friends, 

It has been one of the greatest privileges of my life to serve as a Councilwoman representing the people of my hometown Huntington.

My twenty-one years’ collective work in Huntington has challenged me to solve resident, business and government problems ranging fromrun of the mill to monumental. I am enormously proud of being a go-to figure in government for all of those years.

Since 2018 I was one of a two-member Democratic minority on the Huntington Town Board, and as of 2022, the lone Democrat, and only woman. Operating within this political reality, I nonetheless worked time and again to reach across the aisle to offer experienced counsel and a strong hand in shaping public policy and clean government. I have only been able to accomplish this by working behind the scenes to discuss and iron out differences for the best possible result, and, to avoid unnecessary public contention at the dais that has never been my style.
 
It was truly humbling to be able to serve in a place and time in Huntington during significant tumult, most notably- during the landing of the historic and global COVID pandemic and lockdown here in our own backyards that forced me and fellow elected officials to pivot to find new ways to govern, serve, protect and console.
 
Looking back, there are countless proud moments, among them: being on deck to close the long-hovering and daunting chapter of the LIPA lawsuit, which during the eleventh hour of settlement negotiations, I asked for, and ultimately helped Huntington receive from LIPA, direct payments of $3 million over three years to help offset the tax impact… taking a stand to push for the new and economically-viable version of Housing Help’s Matinecock Court affordable housing development…leading the charge to strike a controversial and unconstitutional chapter of the Town Code restricting where a woman could terminate her pregnancy…expanding our Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) legislation in 2019 to be more responsive to both homeowners and lower cost housing seekers, and proposing continuing ADU expansions…enhancing and reforming affordable housing policy… sponsoring live-streaming of town meetings and closed-captioning for the hearing-impaired…bolstering and sponsoring the creation of a new historic district to protect our early settlement South Huntington Village neighborhoods, and on a lighter note, opening the gates of Heckscher Park to our canine family members. 
 
As I worked to upgrade our parks, protect our drinking water and clean our world-class beaches, I wrote and passed numerous code amendments aimed at fostering accountability, transparency and ethics in government, and other measures to enhance quality of life in our residential communities.

Once my term ends on December 31, 2023 I plan to open a new chapter that will enable me to continue my public service in a new way by exercising my love of writing and creating other media. 

 
Thank you for your support and interest that have enabled me to enjoy the privilege of public service.

If the spirit moves, I hope you will enjoy one or more entries at my blog by clicking here.

With sincere gratitude,