What I Believe

I have three essential beliefs about children. To live their best lives they require unconditional love, a strong value system, and a good education. My interest in the Board of Education is rooted in the latter of these beliefs-a good education. Rocky River City Schools has enjoyed high marks in academics and strong support from parents and the community for many years. Graduates of the Rocky River schools are known as community leaders, career professionals or exceptional members of any field of endeavor they choose. They leave the school system well-prepared to assume their adult roles in society. It is indeed a proud legacy.

I think “good” can become great with effective strategic planning including a focus on future advancements in the field of education, an educated, dedicated cadre of teachers that are supported and highly regarded, an active and engaged parent population, and, most importantly, close alignment between the Board and the school administration.

There are challenges to be faced undoubtedly. But the task of the Board is to inspire support and position the institution for the long term. It is critical that the Board and the Superintendent (and his team) work together to bring the vision and big picture thinking to fruition. I think that commitment will propel Rocky River Schools to even higher levels of achievement.

My personal goals are to be an active listener to all constituents and to offer my voice in advocacy for those issues that will advance the schools, the students, the faculty, the parents, and the community at large. I believe truth develops trust and advocacy ensures a focus on quality and performance. There are many challenges ahead for schools across the nation, particularly cultural, social, and/or financial issues. There may be difficult decisions to be made, but with the guiding principles of truth, quality and teamwork, we will overcome all hurdles yet to come.

My Education

I have master’s degrees in nursing and business (MSN/MBA) from Case Western Reserve University. When I retired in 2019, I attended Emory University School of Law graduating in 2021 with a Juris Masters (JM) degree. My intention with this degree was to serve as a legal advocate for children’s issues.

I worked with families and school systems to ensure the children were receiving all the legally required services their Individual Educational Plan (IEP) required. I served on the Juvenile Justice Advisory Committee as a community advocate, and I served on the Providence House Board assisting them in acquiring governmental funds to support their work.

Personal Life

I am married to my husband, Don. We celebrate 35 years together this year. Don was a banker at National City and retired from his VP role in 2006 which created the space for my accepting the CEO position in Memphis. Before moving to Memphis, we lived in Rocky River on Beachwood Dr for 7 years and then Homeland Ave for 9 years. We had one son who passed away unexpectedly at the age of 22 in 2014 from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. We miss him every day. When I retired, Don and I wanted to come “home” and back to Rocky River. We live in Westhampton surrounded by the best of neighbors. I have a brother and his family that live in Avon Lake, so coming home is very comfortable and healing.