Experience and Service

Town Committees

Sudbury 250 Committee 2024 - present, Chair

Lincoln Sudbury Regional School Committee 2007 - 2019

• Chair (4 years), Vice Chair (3 years)
• Subcommittees: Finance, Negotiations, Technology, Capital, Search
• Led the creation of new subcommittees: Policy, Start Time, Strategic Planning
• Sudbury Committees: Budget Working Group, Budget Strategies Task Force

Sudbury Housing Authority 2006 - 2007

• Associate Member, cared for the needs of rental property tenants

Sudbury Walkway Committee 1999 - 2000

• Helped create a town-wide sidewalk list that is still used for ready reference

Volunteer Service

Annual Civics Bee 2016

• Sudbury Team Member with L-S students, Select Board Members

Lincoln-Sudbury Poetry Aloud Finals, Lincoln 2011 and 2017, Judge

Massachusetts High School Speech and Debate League Meets, 2006, 2007, Judge

Vermont Odyssey, Haynes School, 1999, Parent Chaperone

Odyssey of the Mind, Haynes School, 1997-1998, Assistant Coach

Sudbury 250 Committee

• Planning events, with an excellent committee, for the entire Sudbury community so we celebrate and commemorate the 250^th anniversary of the American Revolution and Sudbury’s unique role
• An invitation for the Sudbury community to participate in a contest to celebrate Sudbury 250

Lincoln Sudbury School Committee

• Student Learning and Development
• Leadership and Service
• Capital Upgrades
• Renewable Energy and Sustainability
• Finances
• Collaboration
• Safety

Student Learning and Development

• Ensured excellent care and educational outcomes for our children
  • Supported the Superintendent/Principal, the administration, the faculty, and the staff as they maintained their focus where it belongs – the intellectual, the social, and the emotional growth, and the well-being  of each student.
  • When focus is maintained where it ought to be, results follow. Our students continue to do well in their post-high school life as they graduate from L-S with confidence and compassion.

Leadership and Service

• Worked with and helped hire several executives. I worked with three L-S Superintendents and was part of hiring two. Member of the committee that hired finance directors. Worked with three Sudbury and two Lincoln Superintendents, two Sudbury Town Managers, and one Lincoln Town Administrator.
  • I know how to evaluate and hire chief executive officers, and how to ensure that they succeed in their jobs.  When they succeed, the town/school succeeds.

• Working with school committee members, I held listening sessions in Sudbury and Lincoln. I had good conversations about L-S with Sudbury and Lincoln residents, and Select Board members at these sessions
  • I was available to the community at times and places that are convenient to them. I took in a lot of very good input and was able to engage in long and productive conversations.

• Designed, implemented, and maintained the first ever L-S School Committee website for several years with meetings, minutes, budget, finances, presentations, and other information
  • At a time (2008-09) when the district did not have the finances to get this done by others, I took upon the task, on my own for several years, to keep public informed about School Committee activities.

• In my last year on the committee and as Chair, I spearheaded the creation of several important new subcommittees including – Policy, Start Time, Strategic Planning.  I am glad that several of these subcommittees finished their initial tasks successfully after I left the committee.  I also wrote several transition memos to the school committee to help them continue to be successful.
  • Even as I was leaving the committee, till the last minute, I saw a need to continue the important work, and made efforts to facilitate progress.

Capital Upgrades

• As Chair, I led the technology and networking infrastructure upgrade at the high school
  • Collaborated with Sudbury and Lincoln Town officials, Select Boards, Capital and Finance Committees to advance this major project that immensely aided student learning.

• As Chair, I worked to complete the Community Softball field at L-S
  • Worked with Friends of L-S Softball, Park and Recreation Commission, Select Board, Sudbury Town Manager, L-S Facilities to fund, construct, and open the Softball Field. It is gratifying and equitable when our girls have a safe and modern playing field.

Renewable Energy and Sustainability

LS Parking Lot Solar Canopy, Picture: Courtesy of SunEdison

• As Chair, I led the work and kept the focus, despite misgivings and setbacks, to successfully complete for the L-S Solar Canopy, one of the first of its kind in Massachusetts.
  • Worked with pro-bono and independent consultants, pro-bono consultants,state legislators, MA Department of Energy Resources (DOER) to secure the highest SRECs (Solar Renewable Energy Credits) which save us the most money.
  • For $0 capital investment, L-S Solar Canopy saved Sudbury overt $1M, helped the school, our town, the environment, and students learned about sustainability and energy generation.

Finances

• As member of several Negotiations Subcommittees, I helped finalize contracts that are fair and fiscally responsible
• I helped negotiate late high school start times into the contract
  • Kept calm, firm, and maintained respect through robust negotations.

• I evaluated actuarial reports, and advocated for initial and continued payments into the OPEB Trust (Other Post-Employment Benefits) Trust for retired employees.
  • Proactively made a line item for OPEB Trust contributions in LS budget and ensured the school district is making progress to meet its long-term obligations.

• I, along with a fellow School Committee member, developed fiscally responsible guidelines for free cash (Excess & Deficiency Fund) and Stabilization Fund which were adopted by the school committee
  • Replaced ad-hoc decisions with a clearly formulated strategy based on past experience with an eye towards future financial stability.

• Member of Joint Finance and Capital Liaisons with Lincoln and Sudbury Finance and Capital Committees. We met at the beginning of the budget cycle to inform one another the financial and capital needs, opportunities, and risks.
• Member of Sudbury Budget Working Group and Budget Strategies Task Force with members of L-S and SPS school committees, Select Board, Finance Committee, L-S and SPS superintendents, Town Manager, and finance directors. We discussed the upcoming town budget and the needs of each cost center.

Picture: Courtesy of Sudbury TV
PLAY the video below for my presentation on Regional School Finance and Governance

• One of my last acts as L-S School Committee member and Chair was to offer a tutorial on regional finances and regional school districts.  It was attended by L-S School Committee, Lincoln and Sudbury Select Boards and Finance Committees.
  • When I joined the school committee, I knew little about school finances and regional school finances and governance. Over the years, I gained expertise and shared that knowledge for the benefit of Sudbury and Lincoln.  It is still used as a resource.

Collaboration

• Founding member of G4, a collaborative effort of Sudbury Public Schools, Wayland Public Schools, Lincoln Public Schools, and L-S
  • During the Great Recession of 2008-2009, the four Chairs of School Committees along with the four Superintendents, founded this effort to explore collaboration across school districts and towns.  Periodic meetings between Sudbury, Lincoln, and Lincoln-Sudbury Superintendents continue to happen to this day.

• I led the setting up the current annual practice of Tri-District School Committee meetings between Sudbury Public Schools, Lincoln Public Schools, and L-S.  Worked with administrators to ensure that there is a smooth transition from middle schools to high school in terms of curriculum and student services.
  • Saw a pressing need for better communication and collaboration between the three school districts, and developed consensus on this need and made it happen.  Annual meetings between Lincoln, Sudbury, and Lincoln-Sudbury school committees continue.
  • The late school start time at the high school came out of the very first tri-district meeting that I helped create.

Safety

• Helped set up the 2018 School Safety Review Subcommittee. Later as Chair, I ensured the Safety Revew Report got completed.
  • After the Parkland school shootings, Lincoln-Sudbury School Committee re-formed its Safety Review Subcommittee. During my last year as Chair, I worked with the Vice Chair to produce a report, and led to obtain a consensus. The school committee adopted the report's recommendations.