My story

I’m a mom, community activist, and former journalist with a long record of advocating for positive change in our community.

I was born in Washington, DC, and raised by my late mother, Kitty, who taught me the importance of standing up for what’s right. She took me to protests in front of the White House and to stuff envelopes for various causes. Once, she chased down a car whose driver had thrown trash out the window, shouting, “Not in my neighborhood!” Her activism rubbed off on me, and in elementary school my best friend and I formed an animal-rights organization called CARE (Cruelty Ain’t Right Ever).

I studied philosophy and physics at Grinnell College in Iowa, taught English in Vietnam and Japan, then went to graduate school for science writing at the University of California, Santa Cruz. I worked as a science journalist at various popular science magazines, covering everything from climate change to runaway stars. My husband and I moved to Wollaston in 2009, falling in love with our city’s diversity, transit access, and welcoming community.

Now, as a 15-year Quincy resident who is raising our son here, I am committed to advocating for a better future for our city. I have served on the board of the Quincy Climate Action Network, chaired a city task force on composting, and founded the Quincy Tree Alliance to protect the trees that cool and clean our air and prevent flooding. In 2021, I co-founded the nonprofit Quincy Votes! to combat our city’s low turnout, believing that civic engagement is the key to creating a responsive government. 

In 2024, when Quincy’s mayor and city councilors gave themselves 79 and 50% pay raises, I channeled my outrage into action. My neighbors and I organized to undo the raises, arguing that they were too high and that they had been pushed through without any input from taxpayers. Though we weren’t able to stop the raises outright, the 6,000 signatures we gathered in 20 days forced the politicians to delay taking them. After engaging with so many of my neighbors, I realized that there were many issues that were being overlooked by those in power, and I decided to try to change that.

With all the issues we’re facing as a city, we need leadership that listens to our concerns and takes action. I have demonstrated those values my entire life, and as your city councilor I hope to do the same for you.