Why I’m Qualified
I have worked in private business, for non-profit organizations, and in and around local and state government for most of my adult life. At present, I serve as District Director and Senior Policy Advisor for State Senator John Laird, whose sprawling district including some one million people stretches from Santa Cruz to South San Luis Obispo County. I serve as the Senator’s representative on the California State Coastal Conservancy and the Wildlife Conservation Board and have supported his work in multiple policy arenas, including energy, education, water and other public infrastructure, coastal protection, land use, housing, homelessness, childcare, and health care.
In advocating for you as a SLO County Supervisor, I bring to the job additional skills and life experiences. I graduated magna cum laude from Cal Poly SLO with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. I graduated from Duke University with a joint law degree and master’s degree in public policy, and remain an active lawyer/member of the California State Bar.
I also bring a business background to the job. I worked some 20 years as a financial planner at a local, independent firm and served as its Vice President, Chief Compliance Officer, and Financial/Operations Principal. This experience will be useful in understanding and overseeing the financial condition of SLO County and ensuring the economic stability and sustainability of county operations.
Before, during, and after my years in the financial field, I have been intimately involved in land and water conservation efforts. This includes being a co-founder of the Friends of the Diablo Canyon Lands and the Friends of Oso Flaco Lake. I also worked as the SLO County Project Director for The Nature Conservancy and the American Land Conservancy. In these capacities, I have been directly involved in the conservation of over 100,000 acres in SLO County, including Hearst Ranch, Cambria Coast Ranch, Guidetti Ranch (SLO Greenbelt), Wright properties (Irish Hills), Diablo Canyon Lands (including Wild Cherry Canyon), South Chimineas Ranch (Carrizo Plain), and the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes.
I have always believed in public service and will bring that spirit to the role as Supervisor. I’ve served on the board for the ECHO homeless services organization, Habitat for Humanity, and the Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County, as well as on the advisory board for CAPSLO’s Child Care Resource Connection. I was a founding member of and continue to serve on the Diablo Canyon Decommissioning Engagement Panel, and have volunteered for The Marine Mammal Center. I have been a long-standing advocate for ocean and coastal protection and was elected as Vice-Chair of the first Advisory Council for the new Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary and serve as its SLO County Public-At-Large member.
On a personal note and as my proudest achievement, I have raised two daughters in San Luis Obispo, where they attended wonderful schools: Pacheco Elementary, Laguna Middle School, and graduated from San Luis Obispo High School.
All of these life and work experiences have brought me closer to and more appreciative of our local community — and raised my awareness of those areas where we need to strive for a better tomorrow.
