Raised on the east coast outside of Boston, I moved to Santa Cruz in 1992. Like many others, I made my way to Cabrillo College to pave my career path, and graduated Cabrillo’s Early Childhood Education program with honors while working full time as a head teacher and then center director for two nationally accredited Santa Cruz area early childhood programs.

Since graduating Cabrillo in 2002, I’ve worked locally as a nonprofit leader and as senior staff in state and county government. I’m currently the Senior Analyst for Administration with the County of Santa Cruz Human Services Department. Prior to this I managed administrative services for the Santa Cruz County Office of the Public Defender, and I’ve also administered $10 million in child-welfare, housing support and employment services contracts with local nonprofit partners for the Human Services Department’s Centralized Contracting Unit.

I live near the Santa Cruz Harbor with my husband Scott, who is a former Bay Area paramedic and current EMS Program Director for Bay Area Training Academy in Santa Clara County. We live with our 2 dogs, Penny and Juno, and love to spend time with friends, walking the dogs to the beach, the Harbor, or to the Live Oak Farmers Market on Sundays.