About Me
My Uncle Charlie & PopPop recognized the long-term income inequalities that were to result from Ronald Reagan's massive tax cuts to the wealthy.
All four of us finished the Norfolk Harbor Half Marathon!
Avery, YSPH Class of 2023
Aaron, ODU Nursing Class of 2023
Ali, HHS Class of 2022
I was born in Washington, DC to a working-class family of sheet-metal workers and firefighters. Growing up in a single-parent home gave me a strong understanding of the value of hard work, direct communication, and collaboration.​
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I attended public schools and was 15 when I was hired for my first job: working the cash register at Lowen's, an independent toy store in Bethesda, Maryland. I stayed at Lowen's throughout high school and credit the shop's 'no exceptions free gift wrap' policy for my ability to multitask under the most stressful conditions. (Please, just don't ask me about Saturday mornings in December)
​I earned my Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Maryland at College Park. While there, I held down two jobs: I waited tables in the evening, and I worked as a secretary for the National Institutes of Health's Radiation Oncology Clinic weekday afternoons. ​Chesapeake welcomed me and my family in the late 1990’s.​
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I earned my Master of Science in Education at Old Dominion University, and I was hired to teach English for Chesapeake Public Schools in 2000. My then-husband was preparing to retire from a 20-year career as a Navy SEAL. ​
Despite the successes I've enjoyed from my various efforts, the best thing I've done with my life is raise amazing people: Avery, Aaron, and Alison. All three are products of Chesapeake Public Schools and graduates of Hickory High School, where I teach. Yes, I did teach my own kids!
​Today, Avery is a graduate of Yale School of Public Health, living & working in Boston as an environmental health scientist. The Bachelor of Science in Environmental Biology she earned from Christopher Newport University couldn't have been any more perfect for her plans. Aaron is a graduate of the ODU School of Nursing working at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital on the cardiac intensive care unit. Ali spent two years at Tidewater Community College and is finishing her degree in Communications at James Madison University.
While I'm immensely proud of my children's academic and professional accomplishments, I'm most likely to brag about my kids' hustle: all three will have earned their undergraduate degrees with no student debt.
​I work actively with several community organizations toward the shared goal of improving opportunities for everyone in Chesapeake. I still love my work for Chesapeake Public Schools, where I advocate for both students and staff.
In all areas of my life, I've found success by meeting people where they are and using that starting point as the foundation for a productive relationship. I anticipate that trait will serve me and Chesapeake well, as we collaborate to improve our city in vital, citizen-centered ways.