I live in the Hillsdale neighborhood of SW Portland with my husband of nearly 20 years, Todd, and my daughters Jane (16), Louise (13), and Harriet (8). The girls currently attend Wilson High School, Robert Gray Middle School, and Rieke Elementary. (If elected, I will be the only Board member who has a child enrolled at each level of Portland Public Schools.) We moved to Hillsdale in 2001 after living on SE Belmont near Mt. Tabor Park for many years, where our daughters attended Glencoe Elementary.

My decade of experience and involvement in Portland Public Schools includes:

• PTA officer, including president of Robert Gray Middle School PTA
• Founding member of the Neighborhood Schools Alliance
• Member of Hillsdale Neighborhood Association, active in Southwest Neighborhoods, Inc. (SWNI) Schools Committee
• Member of committee that developed Rieke/Hillsdale growth plan
• Volunteer on many school funding campaigns dating back to the 1990s
• Classroom volunteer at my children's schools

Apart from being a mom, volunteer for schools, and citywide schools advocate, my "day job" is as a market research analyst. This means that I take piles of data, both quantitative and qualitative, and distill the complex numbers and concepts into clear, actionable solutions for our clients. As an analyst, I figure out what the numbers really mean and convey that meaning clearly and concisely. Part of my job is to determine a budget for the research project that will provide the best quality product at the lowest possible price. I am accountable to the client to keep the job on budget and on schedule. My analytical and budgeting skills will serve me well as a School Board member.

In my role as PTA president, I was responsible for overseeing the budget and was accountable to our members for how their money was spent. Every spending decision needed to take into account the best interests of all children at the school. I will follow the same principle and accountability as a School Board member responsible for approving and overseeing the Portland Public Schools budget.

I was fortunate to have the opportunity to attend Yale University for both my undergraduate and graduate education. My husband grew up in Beaverton and I grew up in San Francisco. We moved to Portland in 1988 in part because, unlike San Francisco, at the time we could afford to buy a home here. As we started to raise a family, we realized how lucky we were to have settled in a community where schools are valued so highly and so many people are passionate about creating great public schools for all our children.

Portland is one of the best places to live in the country. We need to make sure that it remains family-friendly, with strong schools and strong neighborhoods.

For more detail on my work experience, volunteer service, and education, click on the resume link below. I've also included a bit of personal history--my first published letter to the editor, when I was in 3rd grade. Thank you for your interest in my campaign!