Before being elected to the state legislature in 2022 and named Deputy Majority Caucus Chair and Assistant Majority Leader, I served as a two-term at-large elected member of Norwalk's Common Council where I proudly represented each resident in every neighborhood of Connecticut's sixth largest city. I was Chair of the Community Services Committee and a member of the Ordinance, Public Safety and General Government, ad-hoc Sustainability and Resilience, and Public Works Committees of the Common Council, working to improve the quality of life for all of Norwalk’s residents in collaboration with the City and its community partners.
As a nonprofit consultant, I have worked alongside community-based organizations, nonprofit leaders, and startup founders to collaborate and create an even greater impact in their communities for social good. I am a passionate advocate for educational equity, the health and well-being of youth, women and LGBTQ+ people, and sustainability and have served on local nonprofit boards including Triangle Community Center and as co-founder of Norwalk Women Who Vote.
As a public college professor and published researcher, I authored more than 20 articles, reports, and book chapters, including the first study to examine the benefits of informal mentoring on the educational resilience of sexual minority youth (in 2009). I also served as the Principal Investigator on a grant-funded study of public school district desegregation plans and as a policy expert advising district leaders and educators on updated state bullying law.
I grew up in the Midwest and earned a PhD in Urban Education Policy from Temple University, an MA in Communication from Stanford University, and a BA in Communication Studies from Bryn Mawr College. I proudly call Norwalk home where I live in Cranbury with my partner Billie, our dog Rey, and our cat Scooter.