Education
BS Physical Therapy MEd curriculum design with specialization in ESL
Experience
Nearly 20 years in Novelty. Mother of 5 adult children. Ministry work with Cleveland organization providing tutoring in English and Citizenship to refugees. Currently working for a local homecare agency.
Volunteer/Community Service
Volunteer Elementary after school program providing tutoring/homework help. Volunteer in activities/programs several local senior living facilities. Volunteer church.
I love our community and two of the foundations of our community are families and schools, which provide the nurture and growth and education of the future citizens in our community. If families are strong and the public education is excellent, then our community will be cohesive and vibrant, and the students graduating from our schools will be civically engaged and invested in our community.
I am a life-long learner. I have always valued education. Since my children are all adults , I am at an age and stage in life that I am available to focus my time and talents to give back to my community. It is important for parents and for all taxpayers to have a voice in this very important part of our community. While many parents of school-age children have regular connections to the schools, they may not always feel that their concerns are heard and addressed. Statistics show that 65-75% of district households have no regular connection to the schools. I would like the opportunity to promote connection of the community with the schools, advocate for education excellence, support parental rights, and improve fiscal responsibility.
In the past few years, the School Board has done a good job of talking more and asking more questions. This not only helps the school board members consider more possible options and inform each other through discussions, but it also makes the School Board decisions more accessible and understandable to the public. This is also an excellent area to continue to change by asking even more questions. As School Board Members question policies, curriculum, and spending, they all become more informed decision makers and become better able to share this with the public. This can help to bring more connection between the School Board Members themselves and also with the community.
A very complicated question. It is always better to have local control of the school system, so that it can represent/serve the local families and community better. Sometimes funding from state/federal governments comes with mandates that might not align with our local community's values, priorities, and needs. While property taxes are local funding, the rise in property taxes is becoming a burden to property owners, especially the elderly population. The best reform would be to start with evaluating our district spending to not only get the best, but also to get the best for the money to see if funding needs could be lowered. Funding reform is an issue that may be decided by the voters/legislators state wide, not just the school board.
Education
Masters from Tiffin University in Higher Education Administration
Experience
14 years as a classroom teacher and administrator
Every community has a responsibility to support the education of its children. It does not matter if one has children in the district; the very strength and legacy of a community lies in its future, so if we fail to educate our kids, we fail ourselves. These children will grow up and want to come back to the place they grew up if they feel connected to it; a public school is at the core of this draw back to a place. It's exactly why I chose to raise my family in the community I grew up in. I was connected to West Geauga, and I wanted that for my children.
As an alumna of West Geauga and an educator, I can see both the broader picture while also understanding the business of running a district at a more granular level. I want to ensure that the people of the West Geauga community feel like they are represented by someone who will listen to their concerns and their suggestions, while also being able to communicate why what they want may not be possible. I enjoy being someone that can be counted on to respond to our community's concerns, even when they are difficult to talk about.
One of the things I know we have done well is establish a more robust safety presence in every one of our four buildings. We have a full time police officer in each building in order to keep our kids and staff safe. When I was first elected to the board four years ago, we had only one officer in the high school.
One area I would like to continue to see changing is the effort to promote a positive message about the great efforts of our students and our teachers, staff, and coaches. The district has recently begun to advance efforts to ensure that every single person in our community understands how important the school is--from families with young children to our seniors who may need help raking leaves or cleaning up their yard.
School funding is incredibly complicated. I do not feel like I am qualified to suggest reforms for the way public schools are financed, but I am certainly willing to continue discussing how changes in financing education affects the actual education for all of our students, whether that is positive or negative in scope.
Education
Bachelors of Business Management
Experience
Career in Finance, Operations and ERP consulting
Volunteer/Community Service
West Geauga Recreation Council (Asst. Treasurer) & West Geauga Joint Recreation District aka West G Commons (Trustee)
The role of public education in our community is to provide every child with the knowledge, skills, and opportunities needed to thrive. That means more than preparing for standardized tests—it means fostering critical thinking, creativity, and character. Public schools should offer a full-spectrum education that includes strong academics, arts, athletics, and real-world learning, while ensuring students are safe and supported. Schools must also be responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars, maintaining facilities and operating transparently. Done right, public education builds community pride and prepares the next generation to lead.
I want to serve on the School Board because I believe our district can do better in transparency, fiscal responsibility, and stewardship of our facilities. Too often, decisions are made without clear communication, cash reserves sit unused while maintenance is deferred, and the focus on test scores overshadows a well-rounded education. My vision is for a board that is open with the community, careful with taxpayer dollars, and committed to maintaining the schools we already have. Most importantly, I want to support a full-spectrum education—strong academics, arts, athletics, and real-world learning—that prepares the next generation to succeed.
The current board has done a good job driving test scores higher and recruiting strong educational talent, both of which are important accomplishments. However, I believe this progress has come with too much emphasis on standardized testing, which can narrow the student experience. Education should prepare students not only to perform well on exams but also to think critically, create, collaborate, and develop real-world skills. At the same time, the board has fallen short in transparency, fiscal responsibility, and facility maintenance. I would change this by improving open communication, ensuring procurement is cost-effective, and prioritizing timely upkeep of the schools taxpayers have already invested in.
I believe school funding should follow a simple principle: fund every dollar that is needed—and no more. Every tax dollar collected should have a clear purpose and be spent with care, directly tied to student learning, facility upkeep, or essential operations. Districts should not hold on to excess reserves beyond what is necessary for stability, because money sitting idle is money not working for students or being returned to taxpayers. True reform means aligning budgets with actual needs, eliminating waste, and ensuring transparency so the community can trust that every dollar is serving its intended purpose.
