I’ve been working for change for most of my life. I want to bring those skills to the fight for better public education.

Fighting for affordable housing

I spent the 2000’s working expand affordable housing in Washington State. I was the Policy Director of the Housing Development Consortium and the Executive Director of the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance. I learned how to build coalitions in Olympia that led to real change. Some of our successes included:

  • Growing the Washington State Housing Trust Fund to $100 million for the first time.

  • E2SHB 1461
    The Manufactured/Mobile Home Disputes Resolution Program is established in the office of the Attorney General.

  • E2SHB 1359
    The Affordable Housing for All Surcharge of $10 is established on recorded documents for the benefit of housing and homeless programs.

  • HB 1450
    Expanding the multifamily tax exemption to rental properties owned or used by nonprofits and directing assessors to consider restrictions on ownership income or rights.

  • E2SHB 1910
    Lowering the multifamily property tax exemption population to cities of 15,000, changing the term to 12 years for properties with set-asides for low- or moderate-income households and eight years for market-rate properties, and requiring annual reporting.

  • 2SHB 1922
    Creating the Independent Youth Housing Program for youth aged 18 to 23 who have exited the state dependency system.

  • E2SHB 1621
    Preserving manufactured/mobile home communities.

  • SHB 2279
    Prohibiting discrimination against affordable housing developments by cities and counties.

  • EHB 3142
    Creating the affordable housing and community facilities Rapid Response Loan Program.

  • ESSB 5959
    Providing assistance to individuals and families who are homeless or at risk of being homeless.

  • SB 6335
    Appropriating an additional $6 million for the Washington Families Fund.

Organizing for equitable outcomes

My first career was working in New York City as a community organizer. I worked across Brooklyn, Queens, Harlem, and Manhattan to bring resources into public schools and community centers. We focussed on digital divide issues to increase equitable access to technology, and making schools beautiful and welcoming by painting murals and improving the grounds of the schools.

We built computer labs in schools and community centers across NYC, and then recruited technology workers to teach classes in their communities.

We led “Cares Days” where hundreds of volunteers would beautify schools across the city by painting murals, building playgrounds, improving gardens, and generally making schools welcoming and beautiful.