VOTE411 Voter Guide

As a lifelong resident and product of our schools, I chose to remain in town because I believe deeply in this community. I bring a fresh, forward-looking perspective and a proven record of leadership that will benefit our Council. In my four years on the Board of Education, I made tough decisions that required balancing budgets, planning ahead, and putting the needs of our students first. Those experiences prepared me to take on the responsibilities of Council and showed me how vital collaboration is to achieve results. I have worked with parents, educators, community members, and colleagues to build consensus and move our District forward. I plan to bring that same collaborative spirit to Council. I understand the challenges the next generation faces, yet respect the traditions and values that make Fair Lawn special. By combining the energy and vision of a younger generation with meaningful experience, strong relationships, and deep family roots, I am eager to guide Fair Lawn forward.

Fair Lawn is a strong community, but like many towns, we face real challenges. Maintaining affordability is critical. Rising costs must be balanced with the need to deliver high-quality services. Infrastructure and development are also key. As our community grows, we need thoughtful planning to preserve the character of our neighborhoods while addressing road conditions, flooding, traffic, and environmental concerns. Economic development presents both challenges and opportunities. While the Borough has made progress revitalizing downtown through organizations like Fair Lawn Main Street, I want to build on that work, strengthen the Broadway District, and ensure all business owners feel connected to our community’s future. Pedestrian safety remains a top priority and requires collaboration with residents, schools, and local agencies. Ultimately, my goal is to ensure Fair Lawn remains a safe, vibrant, and welcoming place where families want to stay and grow for generations to come.

As residents have access to information from many sources, it is more important than ever for the Council to provide accurate and consistent communication. Too often, misinformation fills the gap when official information is not accessible. The Council can address this by using multiple channels, including the Borough website, newsletters, social media, and community meetings, to reach residents in their preferred format. I believe in, and would support, hosting regular town hall discussions or one-on-one meetings to provide residents with an opportunity to ask questions, share concerns, and engage directly with council members. Communication should be transparent and encourage two-way dialogue so residents feel heard and informed. Promoting open communication, consistent messaging, and accessible forums not only keeps residents informed but also strengthens trust, encourages engagement, and ensures that Fair Lawn continues to thrive as a connected and involved community.

I bring a unique blend of personal experience, professional expertise, and civic commitment to the role of Councilperson. Raised in a multigenerational immigrant family, I understand the challenges faced by both senior residents and younger generations navigating high living costs. As a financial analyst specializing in government operations, I’m well-versed in federal budgeting, acquisition regulations, and fiscal accountability—skills I’ll use to ensure transparency and responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars. My hands-on experience as a FEMA contractor in disaster zones has equipped me with practical knowledge in emergency response and preparedness, which I aim to apply to strengthen Fair Lawn’s resilience and support systems.

Fair Lawn is currently facing several critical challenges that demand urgent attention and strategic planning. The borough’s water infrastructure has been strained by the failure to address its reduced capacity, forcing us to rely on purchased water and contributing to rising utility costs. Our sewer system, which includes 10 pump stations and extensive main lines, faces the same aging infrastructure issues. Compounding the current council’s failure to act is the depletion of the budgetary surplus, which limits the town’s ability to respond effectively to emergencies. Additionally, unrestricted overdevelopment will place further pressure on municipal systems, highlighting the need for responsible growth policies and infrastructure investment to preserve Fair Lawn’s quality of life.

Drawing from my experience as a disaster response contractor and growing up in a multigenerational household, I believe the most effective communication strategy prioritizes simplicity, reliability, and accessibility—especially for senior residents who may struggle with new technologies that often fail during emergencies. Communications should be split into emergency and non-emergency categories. Non-emergency updates can be broadcast via a continuous loop on the Fair Lawn TV channel, while emergency alerts should be delivered through a municipally operated direct-to-text system and automated phone calls to home. In power outages, traditional tools like handheld radios with long-life batteries become essential, and the borough can enhance preparedness by offering community center classes to train residents in standardized equipment use and emergency response, ultimately expanding local disaster response capacity.

As a homeowner, parent, and long-time volunteer, I understand the daily concerns of Fair Lawn families. Since 2018, I’ve served with Sunrise Rotary, the Arts Council, and Fair Lawn Main Street, working to revitalize our town and bring people together. As Chamber of Commerce President, I’ve supported small businesses and co-chaired our 100th Anniversary events, strengthening community pride.

Professionally, I am Vice President of Operations for a national firm, where I manage branches across the country, streamline budgets, and solve complex problems. I also helped grow my family’s local business and am opening a new facility in Fair Lawn this year. These experiences have taught me how to make tough decisions, balance priorities, and deliver results. What this means for residents is simple: I will bring the same accountability, problem-solving, and commitment I’ve shown in business and volunteer service to Borough Hall, always putting Fair Lawn first.

The biggest issues facing Fair Lawn are overdevelopment that strains infrastructure, outsourcing that weakens services, and a lack of transparency in decision-making. The recent Paterson water main break left residents under a boil water advisory for days, exposing how vulnerable our system is. If one pipe failure in another town can disrupt our water, we must question whether large-scale development is responsible.

My first priority would be to conduct an infrastructure audit to identify weaknesses in systems like water, roads, and public facilities. This provides the facts we need to plan responsibly and protect taxpayers before approving projects that overburden our neighborhoods. I will work to preserve the character of our town, safeguard services, and ensure accountability. That means supporting police and OEM, while standing firmly behind our volunteer fire department, volunteer EMS, and all first responders. With smart planning, we can restore trust and quality of life.

I propose creating a volunteer-led Public Relations and Communications Advisory Committee to strengthen how Fair Lawn communicates in both emergency and non-emergency times. This group would include representatives from RACES, CERT, Fair Lawn TV, and residents of different ages, neighborhoods, and cultural backgrounds. Bringing these groups together ensures that organizations with expertise can coordinate with each other and with OEM to create clear, consistent plans.

The recent water main break highlighted gaps: while texts, email, social media, and news outlets were used, the borough website did not display a red alert banner until just before service was restored. For many mobile users, updates were hard to find. Accessibility must be a priority every day. Our website should be mobile-friendly, ADA-compliant, and offer translation tools. With multiple channels, visible alerts, and volunteer support, we can close communication gaps and build public trust.

As a member of the Council for 8 years, I’ve focused on solving problems and improving the lives of our residents. I’m proud of our accomplishments: improvements in pedestrian safety, revitalizing playgrounds, enhancing public safety, programs for seniors, and supporting small businesses, while maintaining fiscal responsibility. I listen to the residents’ concerns with empathy and deliver answers. This means utilizing all available resources, whether it’s bringing residents together or collaborating with our partners across government to ensure the best possible outcome. The analytical and problem-solving skills I’ve honed over my more than 20 years as an attorney enable me to make informed decisions and deliver the results our residents need. It’s always about doing what’s best for Fair Lawn and our residents. This is a special community. I chose to raise my 3 girls here, I opened my law firm here, and I could not be prouder to have the opportunity to serve on the Fair Lawn Council.

The biggest issue facing Fair Lawn now is how to maintain and increase our municipal services while preserving the quality of life our residents expect, all while keeping property taxes stable and not burdening Fair Lawn’s future. As costs rise, we face difficult decisions and must find solutions to maintain the quality of life. My record on the Council clearly demonstrates that a balance can be struck. In my 8 years we have invested in our infrastructure and water treatment, grown the police department, funded community policing, supported volunteer first responders with equipment, and stipends, provided robust traffic and pedestrian safety measures, refurbished ballfields, created a dog & splash park, increased art and cultural programming, adopted an age-friendly program for our seniors, invested in business districts, and made the Borough greener. We did all of this in the face of a global pandemic and a period of stark inflation, and did so without raising taxes in 6 of 8 years.

One of my top priorities is to make it easier for residents to receive important information. We need to continue seeking out ways to find our residents where they are and deliver information to the places where they seek out the news. In my 8 years on the Council we have expanded community outreach and communication in a number of ways, including strengthening our emergency messaging capabilities; overhauling our Borough website, weekly emails with Borough announcements, implementing a hotline phone number so residents without computer access can still receive key info; and making greater use of social media, such as holding question-and-answer sessions with residents on Facebook Live and expanding our social media presence to include departments and committees. We are also working to find additional ways to ensure our messaging reaches our older residents by assisting them in signing up for notifications and connecting them directly with the information announcement hotline.