I have spent my entire 41-year career in the client service business, serving the needs of clients and their employees. My company is in the retirement industry, helping people save for their future. A good representative must be responsive, listen actively, collaborate effectively, and know how to compromise. Over my 25 years as the representative for District 17, I have consistently demonstrated these traits through my interactions with the community and helping people solve the issues that they come to me with.

It is vital for a representative to be the voice of their community while doing what is best for the City of Stamford. Improving the quality of life for my constituents is my main goal. That can take many forms. During my most recent term, my goal was to find a new use for the run-down basketball courts on Haig Avenue. Working with the community and the administration, I was able to secure a toddler park, which will begin construction in the spring of 2026.
Helping with enforcement issues will be a top priority this term. As a city, we need to do better with parking enforcement in our neighborhoods and enforcement of building and housing codes. Residents invest a great deal into their homes, and we need to keep their neighborhoods in good order.

Apartments and townhomes should be added to areas where the infrastructure can support them. Areas like Hope Street have seen enough development, with several new apartment buildings added over the last several years. Just because we have a train station does not mean people do not have cars. People who work in New York move to Springdale and Glenbrook for the convenience of the train, but they also move here because it is family-friendly—and when you have a family, you need a car! Stamford needs to keep its residential neighborhoods residential. Growth can be absorbed in the downtown and other areas where the infrastructure can handle it.

Affordable housing is an important initiative for our community. Our Board took several steps this term to create more funding for these initiatives. I supported the amendment to reduce building fees to $13 per $1000 for affordable housing projects. I also supported the initiative to increase the linkage amount from 10% to 15%. Now, 15% of the building fees collected will go into the affordable housing fund. These are small steps, but steps in the right direction. The review process and parameters we have in place for funding projects seem to be working, but I am always open to improvements.