Occupation:   Practicing attorney specializing in labor law, ERISA, commercial and residential real estate and trust and estates.

Qualifications:

I am a graduate of Georgetown University and Fordham University School of Law.  I have been a practicing attorney for almost thirty-five years beginning my career at Skadden, Arps.  I am now a partner in a small law firm in Westchester County.

I have served as a volunteer in the school district in many different capacities for approximately twenty years.  I was named a “Woman of Distinction” by Assemblyman Ed Ra in 2018 for my volunteer service to the community.

I have been a Trustee on the North Shore Board of Education for nine years.  In this position, I participated in the negotiation of the contracts of every bargaining unit.  I have participated in two superintendent searches and the hiring of the Interim Superintendent as well as various other administrators. I currently serve on the Construction Steering Committee and the Legal Review Committee.  I have also served on the 2019 Bond Steering Committee and as the Board liaison to the Legislative Action Committee.  I led request for proposals for legal services for the District on behalf of the Board and served on search committees for architectural and engineering services and auditing services.  I initiated and served on the Guidance Review Committee and served on the stadium lights committee.  I participated in the Athletic Review, the Tri-States Review and the bond referendum in 2013-14.  I formerly served on the Policy Review Committee and on the Mission and Vision Statement Committee. 

As a member of the Board of Education, I advocated for the institution of the writing center at North Shore High School to assist students with the increasing rigor of the high school curriculum.   In addition, I initiated a bus ridership study which resulted in a reduction in the mileage for eligibility and increased ridership on the busses at no cost to the community.    I also insisted on reviewing the legal invoices which changed the way the District was billed for legal services at a substantial savings to the District.  I advocated for the replacement of the tennis courts and obtained a grant from the USTA for tennis equipment and for training for our PE teachers. I also initiated the after-school tennis program which has been run by our elementary parent organizations.

My experience as an attorney has proven invaluable in reviewing contracts and in understanding complex legal issues that face the District, including the decommissioning of the Glenwood Landing Power Plant and the consequent reduction of LIPA’s tax obligations to the District.  The looming settlement of LIPA’s tax certiorari actions against Nassau County and the attempts by American Water/Liberty Water to pass its tax obligations on to our residents continue to be the two largest fiscal challenges to our community.  I am the only member of the Board of Education who has a legal background as the District continues to process the implications of a potential settlement between Nassau County and LIPA and the possibility of a public water authority. I have negotiated and reviewed collective bargaining agreements both professionally and as a member of the Board of Education.  I am fully familiar with the collective bargaining agreements currently being negotiated and the ones that will need to be negotiated in the next three years.

Prior to becoming a Trustee, I served on the executive boards of the Glen Head PTO, North Shore High School PTSA, the Middle School PTA and the Coordinating Council. I was also a member of the Site Based Committee and the review committee for the district’s policies and procedures.

Personal: My husband and I have been residents of the district since 1994.  Both my daughter, Katie (2014), and my son, Michael (2017), are graduates of North Shore High School where they were actively engaged in the fine and performing arts program as well as many other extracurricular activities. Katie is a graduate of Fordham University (BA 2018, MS 2022).  Michael is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh (BA 2021) and is slated to begin Hofstra Law School this fall. 

Statement:  I believe that the combination of my professional background and my experience as a member of the Board of Education makes me uniquely qualified to lead the District as it faces unprecedented fiscal and economic challenges while striving to maintain academic excellence.  The pending settlement between Nassau County and LIPA will necessitate that the District take immediate measures to ensure the sustainability of the budget.  I will be able to hit the ground running with a full understanding of the multi-layered issues facing the District. 

I have also watched with dismay at the ever-increasing divide in our District.  We cannot overcome these financial issues without the support of the entire community.  Our community needs to feel that every member’s voice will be heard as we continue to address the potential loss in revenue.  Together we can overcome any challenge facing the District.  If we continue to engage in a negative discourse, nothing can be accomplished.

This community needs to have confidence that the members of the Board of Education not only can make the difficult decisions that may confront the District in the future, but will do so in a transparent manner.  I will continue to pursue all available avenues to obtain relief from these economic burdens and to pressure the administration to carefully review its programs and expenditures to ascertain where savings can be achieved.

Furthermore, I will be a tireless advocate for academic excellence.  There is always room for improvement and the District should be continually evaluating its academic programs to see where we can achieve even greater success and equity for all students.

Our District is an amazing and unique place which offers a plethora of academic and extracurricular opportunities for our students.  The challenge that confronts us is how to maintain and improve those opportunities while being simultaneously sensitive to the growing fiscal pressure being experienced by our residents.  It will take strong leadership, a critical eye and innovative approaches to achieve this delicate balance.

I have a proven track record of challenging the status quo, questioning our programs and expenditures and continually striving for improved academic outcomes and opportunities.  I look forward to meeting the challenges that face the District over the next three years.