Proven

"I am a change agent in Chicagoland government. I want to use my decade of experience in policy and police reform to activate a 19th Police District Council that builds trust with residents, strengthens community safety, and shines a light of transparency on our public safety system."

It is my personal mission to promote a more equitable world for all. I spent the last decade working in government and nonprofits on public safety, social justice, housing, and health equity issues. I want to use that expertise to ensure we meet this moment.

While working for then-Governor Deval Patrick, I promoted the implementation of Obamacare, catalyzed changing Massachusetts statewide medicare coverage to allow gender-affirming care, and promoted the Safe and Successful Youth Initiative (SSYI) that provided at-risk youth with mentorship, job training, and support. I also supported social services and healthcare resource distribution in the aftermath of the Boston Marathon Bombing.

As a senior-level strategist on communications and outreach for the Mayor’s Office for Public Safety, I supported police reform and operations planning. This included the creation or development of the historic Consent Decree, the Community Policing Advisory Panel, a reformed Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA), the Mental Health Steering Committee, the inaugural Police Reform Report, and investigations of police-involved shootings. I also worked on issues related to critical public safety tactics and functions including the launch of Strategic Decision Support Centers that use data to deploy officer patrols when and where they are needed most and support more effective investigations, as well as issues related to overtime, drone usage, the hiring surge, response times, mental health emergency response, and the gang database. I also promoted an expanded mental health emergency response, including the launch of the SIMLAB emergency responders and mental health provider co-training simulation, a Westside free mental health awareness, and citywide emergency responder crisis intervention training (CIT).

As Chief of Staff to Cook County Commissioner Scott Britton, I expanded language access to voting ballots with the Voting Opportunity and Translation Equity (VOTE) Ordinance, created the first renters’ rights bill for suburban Cook County with the Residential Tenant Landlord Ordinance (RTLO), and ushered the County’s support of statewide strengthening of abortion rights. I spearheaded the Cook County Sheriff’s Office and Cook County Forest Preserves Police in the adoption of the Illinois NAACP and Illinois Association of Police Chiefs (IACP) “Ten Shared Principles” to rebuild trust between the police and residents. Part of this effort has included hosting conversations between police officers and residents from the communities they serve. I also worked on the launch of the Cook County United Against Hate initiative to empower everyone to champion social justice and catalyze educational opportunities to learn about systemic racism.

I am a 2022 Jewish United Fund Chicago 36 Under 36 honoree, and a graduate of the United Counties Council of Illinois (UCCI) Leadership Academy at the University of Illinois Extension School.